


Hell is waiting.

by MechanicalMermaids



Category: Samurai of Hyuga (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, can you believe im this petty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 16:55:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14048685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechanicalMermaids/pseuds/MechanicalMermaids
Summary: In which Jun shows up earlier than he should and definitely not where he's welcomed.OR Ronin exorcised the demon arm without damaging his lover even further.((basically a collection of short stories, while I wait yet another year to learn any coherent piece of information about Jun that isn't a complete alphabetical list of his kinks ))UPDATE: Chapter two has finally been beta'ed and edited. I also wrote the continuation of that story in chapter three. :*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If I'm to wait another goddamn year without an adequate number of Jun fanfiction, then I might as well be my own hero. 
> 
> I would like to thank Wagakki band for setting my hyugan mood. I now have at least three seasons of fake hyuga anime openings in my mind it's 
> 
> pretty great. (( Japan, consider making op with Kishikaisei ))
> 
> Or Gokuraku Jodo !!!! I'm sorry what was I talking about.

Toshio had all the reason to believe their leader has gone mad.

Not that it wasn't somewhat repeated occurence with Yuu. Toshio has definitely seen him go through several strange phases in his life in a span of brief three months but the fact remained that Yuu always stalwartly pulled himself together and rose to the occasion. Not this time.

The aftermath of his duel with Jun has left the bad taste in their mouth and Masashi's probably most of all. At first the boy straight up refused to share on any information on what happened in Hatch's dojo and no one dared blame him. When the gang finally arrived at the scene, he appeared in the entrance with his face wet with tears and the rain, half dragging, half carrying his bodyguard's bloodied and unresponsive body through the doorway. This wasn't how the aftermath of Yuu's brawls usually ended.

And then the silence.

Yuu remained unconcious for the better remainder of their journey, save for occasional heated mutters and the restless twitches, even though he not even for once regained conciousness during that period. Masashi on the other hand appeared to be going through some kind of spiritual journey, sitting in the cart with his stare blank and directed inwards but not saying a thing to anyone except the beloved horse he aquired and which coincidentally ruined their finances.

Upon Momoko's examination it soon became evident just how throughoutly Yuu has been plummeted, but save for Hatch's lack of subtelty, everyone decide not to mention the most evident wound on Yuu's stomach which, when properly cleaned, turned out to be none other than Jun's name.

Since this particular discovery, there's been an air of uneasiness among the traveling companions. Masashi still spent his days silently fretting and checking up on Yuu all the while not shreding any light on what has actually transpired during the fight.

Masashi himself appeared to come unscathered, save for one dull slash going alongside his neck, which he has become increasingly defensive about and claimed that there has been a brief struggle and puffing his checks declared that he has been just fine.

No one believed him by the way. The wobbling lip gave him away.

And then there's been a katana.

Toshio couldn't call himself an expert on weaponry but even he knew that that was not the same blade Yuu carried through the snake demon's lair. Even if he was willing to believe that the katanas hasn't switched owners, no one would have caught Yuu dead keeping the weapon that kept him alive in this poor state.

Toshio took it upon himself to examine the only remainder their knew enemy has left behind.

The first thing that hit him upon sniffling the cracked scabbard was the pungent smell of tabacco. There were many things he believed that Jun was and right until his and Yuu's encounter, there's been this woobly image of a man that cut much of a figure such as Yuu. A mysterious spectre, stalking but somewhat more like a sophisticated hound on a trail that cut through shadows and kept Yuu sleeping with one eye open.

What little left of Jun Toshio had in his hands, somewhat revised his expectations.

The blade has been badily rusted, not to mention speckled with an old blood. All this cut an image not unlike a horror story featuring a katana haunted with a restless spirit of its samurai owner. Toshio half expected this might have been the case. The katana looked like its been through hell and back and it was still thirsty for blood. The stench of tabacco prevailed and was just an added bonus.

Toshio left the blade for Yuu to decide what to do with. The ronin no doubt would come up to the decision to despose of this filthy piece of metal and either purchase a new blade or go hunt for his reclusive ex-lover and retrieve what was rightfully his master's blade.

It was a testament of how unpredictably dangerous Yuu's state of mind became when Jun was being involved, that none of Toshio's musings ultimately came to frutition. When the ronin finally woke up, he immediatelly requested news on his lover, rather than than those of his charge. Masashi took it gamely and somewhat unsurprised as Toshio's finished explaining that Jun's trail has gone long cold and then without waiting for further questions, somewhat coldly informed Yuu that Masashi has been well.

That seemed to grab Yuu's attention for a good moment and Toshio thought 'there, that's the end of that'. No doubt Jun would make his appearance again somewhere along their road of cleansing Huyga, but for now that was that. Yuu was back in the game.

Until he spotted the rusty katana. Toshio was starting to see a pattern here.

Their ronin usually appeared aloof if not slightly apathetic towards others misery. Toshio never judged him. It came with a certain upbringing and mentality of an orphan fighting for survivial in the world that never gave two fucks about you. Toshio knew something about that. It took lord's Satsuma kindness for him to slowly unlearn these habits. To see the light so to speak.

It just happened that Yuu's treacherous light leading him towards the edge was Jun himself.

Yuu immediately took to the blade as though it was his newborn child. He appeared to be examining katana much the same way Toshio has done few days past, but unlike him Yuu appeared to momentarily get lost in... something, as he gently cradled the hilt in his hand and moved his fingers up and down as though searching for Jun's fingerprints all over it.

Apparently way over the fact that the man himself tried to kill Yuu's charge with this very weapon.

At this point Toshio still had a deep reserve of faith in their leader. It must have been shock. It was never easy to suddenly face the figure from the past and even harder to live through such an encounter.

So Toshio started to briefly update him on their current situation and after Masashi's livened state thanks to his bodyguard's slow process to recovery, the group regained something of an resemblance of normality.

It was amazing really. Yuu did not have to do much at all but let all their attitudes and problems bear on him and everyone suddenly appeared to be much more easy going and at ease, despite their horrendous financial state at the moment. The talk of Jun has been abandoned for the moment, even though the ghost of what transpired still hung heavy on them with each one of Yuu's pained grimaces and every sigh Momoko made upon changing his bandages.

The fact was that Yuu looked like shit.

His usual blue and sakura petals kimono has grown a couple of bloody addictions and his long hair was an absolute crumpled mess. As per usual, he didn't seem to care for it much at all save for one dissapointed sigh as he examined the fabric of his something of a trademark at this point.

"You need to let go of it, Yuu-san" Toshio said at one point, not even sure if he meant the clothes or a clacking piece of metal at Yuu's side.

"Not likely." Was the only disinterested reply, as Yuu examined one of the many blade shaped holes in the fabric and continued to fret over it quietly. "This shit was expensive."

Toshio heard Masashi say something about Yuu being a baka and promising to gift his bodyguard a new set of clothes as soon as they contacted the Hashimoto clan.

Yuu just smiled a small and bitter smile, not biting but looking like he appreciated a sentiment nonetheless.

*

Yuu's somewhat stable state dissapeared at the lightning speed as soon as they finished settling in the small, artisan town. The drinking bender followed and soon no one in the group held any illusions over their leader's crumbling mental state.

Yuu appeared to be the only one blisfully unaware of his rampaging obsession. Sure, he still went along loyally with Masashi's plan to win the shogi tournament and slay the demon but it all seemed to be as though an afterthought on his mind. Toshio decided to let it slide for the time being, or at least until Yuu's dangerous state of mind decided to keep them from continuing the mission.

There's been all manner of strange behaviors being exhabited by him; from clinging to an old katana for comfort and resting a hand on its hilt compulsively and earning few disquieted stares at the dirty ronin looking like he was about to draw a katana in the middle of the street, even though Yuu appeared blissfully unaware of the situation, as he was most likely already drunk and muttering the certain name under his breath. This Toshio could deal with.

The paranoia he could not.

Yuu remained strong in his belief that Jun has somehow followed them to the village. This itself was not an unbased belief and in any other situation Toshio might have given it the reasonable amount of thought and investigation. But Yuu was scrambling for evidence.

Starting with the unsettling dreams to outright claiming that Jun followed him and Momoko to the kabuki theater but did not attack for some reason, but was all starting to wear down on Toshio. The fact that blisfully unaware of it all Momoko was starting to become more and more desperate to somehow come across to their leader with her blossoming feelings, was not helping anyone, heartbroken Hatch especially.

It's been established, if somewhat awkwardly that Yuu has only ever been interested in male company. It had some merit if one wanted to find an explanation with Yuu's looks for starters.

Toshio wouldn't go as far as to say that their leader held himself like a woman, because starting from his somewhat ungentelmanly swagger, swearing, dirty humour and dirty appearance overall, Yuu seemed like your local up to no good ronin bastard, who ultimately only cared about brawling and heavily drinking.

At least heavy drinking checked out.

But then Yuu has only ever been deadly precise with his blade. He kept his hair unpractially long and somewhat grudingly styled in something Toshio could only describe as the version of geisha hairdo done by someone who never owned a mirror, nor a decent pair of scissors. Up till last month, no one would have caught him not wearing his flashy deep blue kimono and possibly due only to his very finnese fighting style, he's been able to dismember their enemies wearing only the long sleeved piece of clothing and geta wooden sandals.

Yuu's face at the very least has been definitely androgynous. This all put together, including his penchant to very loudly exclaim every dirty thought that came to mind, gave Toshio some semblance of what their leader's upbringing might have been like. He would never dare ask Yuu if he could dance, but its been established at some point that his favorite instrument has been harp, much to Masashi's surprise.

Even though it was his idea of prodding, he still confessed that he didn't expect the brash Yuu to answer with anything other than the flute or the sound of drunken songs at midnight.

Yuu's past laid in a brothel.

Of course it was nothing shocking, in the end. Could explain his lack of interest in women, after being forced to spend exceeding amount of time with them as guardians as a child. There could be a psyhological aspect involved with being unable to identify woman's body with anything other than the vague sense of motherly concern. It could just as easily explain why Yuu was so taken with men, given who has been the brothel's standard clientelle.

But Yuu claimed to be the Gensai's student and had a his blade and the deadly technique to prove for it.

Toshio shook his head. It was a mystery for another day.

Because right now Yuu was setting an udon place on fire and with Jun's blade as a snatch nonetheless.

"In my defense, I am fucking drunk." Yuu claimed, taking another gulp from the sake bottle he seemed to protect with his life. Masashi continued to tug at his ear as Yuu's pitiful moans carried over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes I am this petty.
> 
> This one started out as the possible divergent route to actually bump into Jun in town, written in the fake Choices style for smoother transitions and then it spun out of control.

_> Agree_  
_ >Decline Basho's request._

Even if he was appearing in a role of their mismatched band's patron right now, Yuu hardly owed Basho any favors. Not to mention, he felt way too drunk to compose anything even resembling a poetry right now.  
"Nah, I think I'll pass, old man..." Yuu muttered and soon his head thumped onto the hardwood again with effort. He just wanted to be left alone so he could get drunk in peace.  
Irritatedly, his mind deemed it necessary to remind him of another such circumstance back at the Sleeping Duck when he was stalwartly declining Toshio's offer of help until he took the kid hostage. That thought immediately sobered Yuu up somewhat and just in time to catch the last of Basho's words.  
"...Most unwise, Yuu san. After all, there is a starved beast on your trail just as we pleasantly discuss right now. But seeing how you are in a most melancholic mood right now, how about I will offer you a helpful advice in exchange for indulging me with a couple of rhymes.  
"Starved beast...?" Yuu harrumphed almost unintelligently from under a wave of dirty hair covering his face like a halo.  
Basho made an agreeable sound at the back of his throat in exchange. Maybe it was just Yuu's imagination but he sounded almost giddy at the prospect.  
"Ohh, but they are half mad with desire to claim you right now, Yuu san. Forgive me for intruding but..." It was too late for that, Basho was already intruding on Yuu's personal matters and the realization made him half crack one eye open, already hued with gold. "If I may offer a solution if only temporary to tame this troublesome man."  
At the corner of his eye, Yuu could already see Basho's eyes slithering in this creepy foxlike way of his as though he was holding a trump card over Yuu. Yuu's eyebrows furrowed in distrust. The bar seemed near silent now in his ears save for the steady thrum of blood gushing in his ears.  
"An advice, for a poem?" Yuu clarified.  
"Yes. Yes, precisely." Basho apparently took his inane question as a sign of agreement, because he already started pulling out a piece of parchment with a taken expression of near delight on his face. "Yuu san, if you will allow me--"

****

Yuu almost manages to forget what this all was about in a flood of dark memories when Basho speaks up again in a secretive timbre as though for Yuu's ears only  
"I am most grateful for your cooperation, Yuu san." He bows deeply, before continuing in a darker tone still "As for holding my part of the deal-- Know this, Yuu san... Blood must reunite with blood when love comes ashore."  
Yuu just stares at him quizzically in the following silence, one hand still wrapped around the bottle of sake and the other holding him onto the surface of the bar. The artsy types are known for their love for cryptic conversation starters so Yuu fully expects some sort of practical advice following this tidbit of bullshit but Basho just straightens up with a triumphant smile etched onto his features before he unceremoniously turns to leave.  
"Ehh? That's it?" Yuu doesn't even have it in himself to muster enough energy to feel betrayed. There's this faint feeling in his head that all of this already felt enough like a troublesome dream and not reality so maybe he conjured Basho's advice as well.  
"When love... Must blood ashore..." He's still muttering unsurely as he leaves the bar, earning the keeper's unsure stare but his tab seems to be taken care of so Yuu takes it upon himself to wobbly stumble out onto the rain-soaked street.

***  
Yuu's sense of direction seems to tragically abandon him as soon as he crosses the street, but nursing the sake bottle in one hand and keeping hold of the stingray handle of Jun's clattering katana in the other, he hardly feels bothered.  
The stupid hat keeps the worst of downpour off him even if the smell of chili is still overpowering all the other smells of food stalls around him.  
It's the matsuri week after all so, despite the bad weather, there is still a good deal of people bustling around even if they seem cautious enough to get out of the way of the drunk ronin meandering around and muttering darkly under his breath.  
Yuu's kimono soon feels completely soaked and his wooden sandals despite the elevation seem to be steadily drowning in mud so he takes it upon himself to muster enough awareness to stop in the middle of the street and assess his options.

He's fairly sure that if he keeps haunting the main street, he will either finally follow up to Basho's house or inevitably meet one of his companions.  
Alternatively, he could just rest up for a while at the entrance of one of the back alleys and either sober up or wait for the rain to ease up. It's not like anyone waiting on him aside from fuming Masashi who no doubt would like to wail on him for ending the match so abruptly.  
The sole thought of enduring the prolonged lecture from his miniscule employee makes his head start throbbing.

_> Keep moving down the street. _   
_> Rest a bit._

The bottle is still half full as Yuu assesses, so he might as well slump over the alley's wall for a bit and rest.

Soon, the steady chatter of the well-lit street on his left makes all the thoughts leave his head. No suicidal shogi matches. No cryptic unhelpful messages delivered by Basho. No... Shadow of Jun resting over him like a bad omen.  
Yuu tentatively puts his good hand over the bandage hidden over the kimono against his abdomen like a darkness dispelling spell. Oh well, so long not thinking about /that/.  
Yuu grimaces reflectively but the sake is dulling the pain beautifully so far and as well as he's concerned in this state his reaction to pain is purely psychological.  
Then, as he's about to take another swig to cement the thought, just at the edge of his vision in the darkened alley, the shadow moves.  
Yuu reacts immediately, like a well oiled if slightly drunk machine he is and reaches for the katana almost thoughtlessly.  
Somewhere, there's a shatter of a bottle crashing onto the ground but it hardly matters as through the pulsating pain he sharpens his gaze towards the lone figure standing just out of the reach of flickering lights from the street against his back.  
He doesn't move an inch from his ready stance, immediately sobering up as he says  
"Who goes there?"  
It's entirely possible that it's just another matsuri goer in the same predicament as he was just a minute ago, drunk and lost in the bowels of the city, but the posture of the shadow seems too alert, too... Familiar.  
Yuu blinks quickly, dispersing the thought and just that quarter of the second when he lets his guard down seems to be enough for the shadow to cross the distance between them, soundless as a ghost.  
"!" Yuu let's out a surprised kind of yelp and startles almost minutely as his eyes finally zero again on the figure slightly hunched over him as though he's a curious sort of animal.

"Yuu chan."

There's only one person in this world who'd dare call him that.

If words weren't enough, the ruddy mane of hair tickling his cheeks and temple and the unwavering golden stare are enough of an indicator that Yuu's worst nightmare has just fulfilled itself.

"Jun."

He has to attack. He has to move /now/. But right now, they seem to be locked in a sort of stalemate, none of them willing to make a move. Frozen in this precise moment.

Yuu gulps shudderingly, feeling Jun's warm breath on his face. His hand is still locked on the handle of katana but... He can't help himself to unclench his fingers. He feels like an animal caught in the trap set up by some sort of predator, even though the alley's entrance is at his back. Even though Jun's hand seems to be nowhere near his own-- sensei's-- weapon, even as the fingers of his right hand seems to the spasming just so.

"Move."  
Words sound like a grovel in Yuu's throat and almost casually, Jun's head tilts in curiosity as though he was trying to put reason to Yuu's words.  
The street lights still bathe his face in a strangely otherworldly light and Yuu wonders if this is just another sort of a dangerous nightmare, just as Jun's fingers close around his jaw just short of painful dragging his face up.  
Yuu almost sputters and quivers slightly at the contact. The wound on his stomach is throbbing with pain again almost as though recognizing its master and the thought enough is to make Yuu feel sick.  
He reflexively tries to shake off the grip, but in exchange, it just tightens, almost squishing his cheeks as Jun seems to regard him slowly as though searching for something.  
'Move.'  
This time Yuu says it just in his mind as his hand finally starts to respond to his wishes as though his body has finally been put out from this hypnotizing spell.  
Just as Yuu's about to unsheath the sword, Jun surprises him again with almost inhuman speed as his throbbing right hand clenches around Yuu's own on the swords handle and with crushing force forces it back into the scabbard.  
The tears overflow Yuu's face as he feels a couple of his fingers cracking dangerously as well on an impact and he must have finally let out some sort of pained sound because Jun's unmoving animal eyes widen just so and unexpectedly he feels a thumb wander down his cheek, gathering the moisture and sweeping it away.

That's when Yuu notices. Something is wrong. Even more than the last time, when Jun was just unthinkingly going on a rampage and couldn't seem to shut up with a stream of consciousness leaving his lips.  
As opposed to this, right now he seems almost restrained and dull at the edges like he seems to recognize Yuu just enough not to fall apart in the process.

Yuu let's out a shaky breath.

"Jun. You have to let me go." Even talking hurts now as points of pain all over his body seem to be intimately once again connected with everywhere Jun touches. Back in the past, this sort of play would have delighted Yuu. Now it just leaves a bile in his throat as he observes the husk of what has been left of his lover.  
Jun is as unresponsive as ever but not willing to fight, which is insane. Yuu's not sure at this point how long they've been standing there as he's still slightly intoxicated and dull at the edges but now as he snapped out of his daze, he attempts to change the tactic.

Jun seems to anticipate him escaping so Yuu's hopes to surprise him by doing the exact opposite and slamming into him with an elbow to the stomach as their hands are still intertwined on the blade's handle.  
Something seems to flicker in Jun's eyes like an oil lamp lighting up because a second later he lets out a thud of pain.  
Their eyes cross only for a moment but as an ignite they both turn to gold of Jigoku. Like a synchronized dance, rather than a brawl in a dirty alleyway, Jun's hand reflexively reaches for the blade wrapped around his fingers, as Yuu takes an advantage of their bodies colliding to do the same at Jun's scabbard.  
The entire exchange lasts maybe half a second as the twin sounds of swords unsheathing sound out over the market's bustle and they unwind in ready positions with their respective swords back in their doubtful owners' hands couple of paces away from each other.

Yuu can't help it but let out a humorless chuckle at this turn of events. The sensei's blade feels just as well weighted and familiar as always in his hand but aside from Jun's stance, he still seems to be acting like a doll with its strings manipulated, even as after this action, he's still again with an uninterested expression as though moving on instinct, readying for a fight.

Letting out two heavy breaths, Yuu does the unthinkable and levels his blade. Jun doesn't do anything about this fact even if he undoubtedly would just charge at Yuu right now and cut him a new one.  
That makes Yuu sad for some masochistic reason.  
"Are you even real Jun?" He questions completely seriously right now, taking one step at the time as he approaches Jun but making sure to never be in the immediate vicinity of his arm's reach.  
He corners him slowly, only to notice how the muscles beneath the white bandage of his raised right hand seem to be bulging almost unnaturally like there's another living thing underneath it.  
Yuu's own right wrist twitches in response.  
Is Jun even... Awake right now?

Hitting him seems too much of a risk, but Yuu can't help a rush of /something/ that there's Jun right here in front of him in this very moment while they are not actively fighting a life and death duel.  
He can't exactly take him home like that as every point of contact seems to arise some sort of unexplainable pattern of reaction from Jun. He doesn't seem to be listening either nor reacting to any of Yuu's questions.  
In front of Yuu's eyes, his sword arm lowers first slowly and then completely as he sheaths the wrong blade as though there was nothing amiss.  
He seems to pause only when something in him realizes that the scabbard is a wrong one as the blade clinks and opposes being forced into it.

There's that curious spark in Jun's eyes again as Yuu observes from the side as his brows furrow just slightly in a way that is so adorably like the Jun he knows that Yuu can't help a tiny, silly smile of his own.  
What is he doing here? Is he... Sleepwalking as he traverses the city? Jun certainly doesn't seem to be his Jigoku maddened self right now, even as his actions and senses seem to be questionable at best right now.  
After a moment of pointless struggling, Jun seems to do the unthinkable as the blade clatters from his fingers onto the ground like a broken toy as he turns to leave.  
Just like that.

_> Stop him. _   
_> Let Jun go. This is already weird enough._

**Attunement decreased**

As much as Yuu feels that it would be most wise to just let Jun go right now, he can't quite force himself to do so.  
Maybe there is really something broken inside him like the stares Toshio and Masashi are throwing his way, every time he mentions Jun in a way that doesn't imply immediate bloodshed and avenging Masashi after what Jun did to him. To them.  
Maybe he doesn't look furious enough when letting his fingers traverse over the shape of the wound and he just looks plain melancholic and lovesick at the only palpable reminder that Jun is real and was there.

Just observing Jun's retreating back forces something sick and thick in his stomach to lurch and he knows this isn't really love that he's feeling right now if it means clenching his hand fearlessly over the back of Jun's kimono as he seems to stutter in his steps just for the second.

And then, faster than his eye can follow, there's a hand clenching on his throat as his head smashes painfully against what he can only assume is a stone wall.  
All the breath is immediately punched out of his lungs as he struggles against being pushed off his feet and onto the air as Jun stares at him again with the same inexplicable aura of calm etched onto his features as though he reacted on reflex.  
As Yuu sputters and curses his own stupidity, at the edge of his fading consciousness, Basho's stupid advice surfaces to his mind like a rhymed Buddhist chant, making completely no sense to him in the only other way that is completely literal and stupid.  
But Yuu never claimed to be the scholarly type like Masashi, nor does he have time to ponder as the blood from bitten lips fills his mouth and he can't take a full breath.  
So frantically he does the only thing he can think off and stopping the bloody scratches of his fingers onto Jun's steely wrist, he claws them into Jun's thick mane of hair instead and pulls their heads together in one brutal shove, until their lips connect.  
Yuu wasn't aware just how strange it is to kiss when one can hardly breathe on their own but soon such thoughts leave him just as does everything else. Jun bites down on his lips painfully as well with a sort of fervent urgency that Yuu failed to anticipate from him. Despite himself, Yuu lets out the gasp that for once has nothing to do with his desperate struggle for life.  
Toshio was right. He's completely broken.  
He tries to keep himself conscious just long enough to make sure that he forces droplets of his blood onto Jun' tongue even if this is the last thing he does and isn't it just the strangest, most bizarre struggle he experienced in his life.  
The fight soon leaves him as well as consciousness and just in case Basho was full of shit, Yuu manages to convince himself that dying bruisingly kissing his nemesis/lover is not such a bad way to go.

***  
Yuu wakes up in an alleyway cold and alone, not to mention hopelessly sober. The cold wood is digging into the back of his head as he blinks up onto the cloudy sky, as for now rainy just for the few stray drops from the rooftop's edge hitting his face.  
Just as he thought. This was just another crazy walking dream of his.  
Getting up, Yuu tries to get his bearings together, as he sluggishly dusts off his kimono, when the burning pain in his throat interrupts him with a hacking cough.  
Yuu feels like he should probably be searching for a purchase on the nearby wall as he gingerly touches the skin of his neck, only to be invited with a tingling pain spreading all over. Curiously, this was not a part of the dream then. Just another wound to add up to a collection of shit that Jun did to his body.  
The hat is lying a few paces down the alleyway and Yuu picks it up and puts onto his head if only in an attempt to distract the glances from the mess on his neck.  
What happened? Did he get into a drunken brawl with some random person and then his ailing mind just added up this scenario he woke up with?  
Remembering that, Yuu frantically reached for his side, only to find the same old Jun's blade safely returned to his side. Or was it there from the very beginning? It wasn't stolen from his person in any case, which is suspicious enough.  
He knew that Jun's clattering sword was not a catch, but then again a blade was a blade as long as it did the job, regardless of the overall condition.  
Yuu groans, putting his head skywards. He is fully willing to accept the fact that he will never get to the bottom of this if only that means that the kid will never find out about the fact that his bodyguard disgraced himself in this manner.

With that resolution in mind, Yuu leaves.  
***  
Because Hyuga is ultimately a cruel and overpopulated place, he manages to stumble onto Masashi and Toshio in a worst possible moment.  
Earlier, not feeling hung up in any capacity as of yet, he decided to celebrate it by borrowing yet another bottle of sake from the nearby stall and washed down the dryness in his throat with this piss poor excuse of an alcohol. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was becoming aware of the fact that this newest method of problem-solving of his was becoming a problem itself, but as far as Jun hallucinations went, this one solution seemed to permanently remove familiar faces from his field of vision.  
Masashi is tutting at him furiously as per usual and it's easy for Yuu to ignore in the pleasant buzz in his head, but Toshio's judging stare on his right proves to be a different beast altogether.  
"You are drunk again, Yuu! I cannot believe this. I thought that we agreed that the tournament is a priority right now?! Did we not? Why would you degrade yourself to this shameful state in times like these...?"  
"Hashimoto san, I believe that Yuu san is trying to put his mind off a troublesome memory."  
Toshio sounds steady and absolutely sure of his observation of Yuu's dawning horror so he clumsily attempts to dissuade him from this line of thinking.  
"Wha..? No, nono. Tosh, this is really /not/ about Jun. I am /definitely/ not seeing things again and shit."  
"I didn't mention Jun at all, Yuu san."  
"Fuck-- A'right! You win this one, Tosh."  
Toshio just shakes his head with a hand put to his temple as though Yuu is slowly starting to test his unending patience.  
The kid finally falls silent though, just as Yuu attempts to rest against the stall's wall and stumbles with a low curse.  
"Yuu is it really...? Is it... About /him/ again?" Masashi sounds like for once he's finding it hard to choose the corrects words and he just levels Yuu down with a concerned puppy-eyed stare. Yuu avoids him stalwartly, by putting the hat lower on his temple.  
"No. I'm just... Bit drunk right now, y'know? I say stuff when I'm drunk, don't mind me."  
This doesn't seem to reassure Masashi like he hoped it would and instead the kid turns to Toshio, who's still assessing Yuu steadily as though trying to probe his mental state just by drilling the hole in the back of his head.  
"I believe you should return home, for now, Yuu san."  
"I'm having fun."  
Toshio sighs, with a hint of an unwilling laugh in his voice.  
"It is truly a pitiful sight for the Sword Who Cuts The Heavens, if this is how he looks while entertained."  
"Oi, don't guilt trip me with... With this sword dancing under the blue moon routine..."  
"Sword dancing...? Yuu san, where did you learn /that/ phrase?"  
"I was a samurai once..." Yuu babbles, not really remembering where he learned the phrase, truth be told. Could be a whorehouse. He did a lot of strange plays back in the day.  
Masashi pulls him out of his recollection and surprises him by offering uncertainty  
"Yuu, if you truly do not wish to return home right now, then perhaps you could help me and Toshio san with purchasing the ingredients for today's dinner..."  
The kid must realize how ridiculous it sounds the moment words leave his mouth because two blank stares both of Toshio's and Yuu's who takes a huge swig are the only answers.  
"It-- it- it's not like we really need your help or anything! But it's probably safer if you stay with us when you are this inebriated, you baka!"  
Yuu just shrugs noncommittally, with his eyes lost somewhere in the distance.  
"Whatever, kid.."  
***

  
Momoko and Hatch are on a date, or at least that's what Hatch is desperately trying to turn it into and kid's nagging finds him spiraling down the depression cycle while trying to set fire to the mushroom's stall.  
If there's one thing that Jun's katana seems to be capable of, it's setting fire to the bits of crumbled grass.  
Yuu's not thinking straight and hasn't been for quite some while, not since his duel with Jun's phantom in the alleyway and the reminder in shape of painful gasps, every time he tries to take a deeper breath.  
Yuu's starting to suspect that Masashi noticed something amiss, while Toshio /definitely/ noticed the change in his respiratory pattern, but half a bottle of sake later, that didn't bother him anymore.

_> Wait to see the results of setting the shop on fire. _   
_> Try to find a safe place to observe from the distance so you don't get set on fire yourself._

As much as Yuu would like to fall face down into the flames right now and ends it all, he figures it will be much safer if he observes the fruits of his labor from the distance.  
He didn't inform Masashi of what exactly he was attempting here too, so perhaps it's safe to distance himself from the kid for the time being as well.  
Behind him, there are surprised cries and soon two figures seem to be escaping the stall, while the distinct smell of burned mushrooms rises in the air.  
"Mission... Accomplished...?" Yuu mutters doubtfully while finishing the lasts of his bottle. He's still much more suited for assassination attempts rather than being skilled in an art of romance. And one would think he'd have more experience than that with his youthful line of work.  
Wrong. No one cared less about romance than the working girls.  
Before he notices, he started wandering again.

It's well past afternoon but the market is still as bustling as ever, considering the fact that the weather gentled down into a steady rasp of small droplets falling from the sky and tapping against Yuu's hat rhytmically.  
Alcohol's gone again so Yuu entertains the thought of just spending the night like that, fucking around and purchasing the sake, by all means, necessary until something else catches his attention.

Considering it's ultimately an artisan town, he shouldn't be surprised, but he still pauses in a childlike wonder at the sight of the stall showing masterfully crafted wooden chirping birds, looking incredibly lifelike in a way they are painted.  
Here's the redbelly picking its wings up and down on a spring as the chirping leaves its wooden beak. Yuu feels oddly transfixed by the sight like there's an edge of a memory poking somewhere in the back of his mind.  
He feels the shopkeeper's doubtful glance land on him, seeing how he's a dirty ronin scaring away clients in front of his business, so reluctantly, Yuu turns to leave.

Only to bump into someone's chest.

****

  
"Oh gods, please tell me you are just a very persistent figment of my imagination."  
"Yuu... I'm feeling hungry like you wouldn't believe." Jun states with a sorrowful frown. Yuu fully believes him. From beneath what he can see under the kimono, Jun is just skin and bones over sinewy muscle. The low groan that comes from his stomach when Jun self consciously puts his hand there just solifidies Yuu's belief.  
"Are you-- Is this for real?!" Yuu whispers urgently, scratching his head under a helmet in a nervous habit that he was almost sure he managed to get rid of in last five years.  
"I feel like I haven't eaten in /days/." Jun whines behind him. Yuu's resolve is slowly breaking.  
He's not even going to pretend to understand what is going on, besides the fact that he apparently owes Basho a huge favor if this crazy advice of his was really interpreted properly.  
"So... You aren't feeling like killing me right now? Or, at least, I don't know, staking your claim on me or something?"  
A blank stare answers him. Jun is genuinely looking like he worries that there is something amiss with /Yuu's/ state of mind right now.  
"...What?" He answers instead near silently. Yuu sighs, then slumps the hat onto Jun's temple in hopes of at least /somewhat/ concealing his identity.  
He feels like he's missing a crucial piece of information right now.  
"What is the last thing you remember?"  
"I just... Got here." Jun says sheepishly, while another long yawn from the depths of his stomach interrupts them. Yuu and Jun throw upset glances towards the shopkeep, who is now looking at them with the double dose of irritation, seeing how one vagrant ronin managed to attract yet another one, looking even worse to wear.   
Soon they would start harassing him for food as well, not to mention still scaring away the clients--  
Yuu clicked his tongue and frowned and after the shallow bow of his head, took Jun's wrist in his hand and dragged him into the crowd while Jun still fumbled with the hat that slid down onto his nose with the sudden motion.

Yuu knew he was screwed.  
Jun's wrist felt strong and bony between his fingers and so very much like him that it nearly made him wanna cry. The lights from the stalls and the burrows of the matsuri were making his eyes sting and his head swims, or maybe he was still just a little bit drunk-- either way. Jun was here. With him.  
He threw his companion a quickest, cursory glance between his shoulder, only to find Jun looking around like a curious child, as though this has been the first time he's seen the festival in motion.  
Could this be the trap? Was Jun even capable of setting such a trap-- He held Masashi hostage not so long ago, but this was merely circumstantial.  
Unlike Yuu, Jun was good at this. Turning the situation in his favor without further preparation, unlike Yuu who preferred to go into battle, at least cursory knowing the sort of advantage he could use against his opponent.  
Focus. Focus, Yuu. Buy yourself some time. This is precisely this type of situation.

"I was meaning to warn you before, but... If you hear any voices inside your head, just ignore them a'right? These are for me." They manage to stop at the least crowded spot at the back of one of the food stalls as Jun finally fumbles with the hat enough to see Yuu clearly.  
"Yeah, real funny, Yuu. You've turned into a real comedian since I was gone."  
Jun sounds fussy like he always does-- like he used to /Yuu has to correct himself/ but what initially punches the air out of his lungs is the sight of his eyes, clear and green like they've always been.  
He's going to ask the question. An important one too and even opens his mouth to do so before Jun interrupts him.  
"I meant what I said earlier. I'm so... Hungry." He sounds almost confused about this new need inside him. Yuu has a burning suspicion that his obsession hasn't left him much time to indulge in simple, human-like actions.  
Instead of answering, Yuu just sighs, after checking his pockets for some spare Ryo.  
"I suppose it would be too much to ask if you'd help this poor ronin with enough spare change so we'd both have dumplings."  
To his surprise, Jun just shrugs, after reaching for the pouch hidden somewhere at his waist. It clatters nicely enough, that Yuu himself pauses in his search.  
Jun looks as stumped as he does at the sight of money and before Yuu can stop him, reaches with his bad hand to empty the pouch on his palm.  
"No- Jun, wait-" Yuu scrambles as the painful spasm seems to overtake the bandaged limb as Jun lets out the sound of distress and the money near manages to clatter onto the pavement between them.  
Except--   
Except Yuu reaches out and faster than he could think, catches the pouch midair and deposits it safely in his own hand. He has merely a blink of surprise at his own reflexes before his attention is again preoccupied with Jun.  
"Shit-- I really did a number on myself, didn't I?" Jun says painedly with the familiar sense of self-depreciating humor. He's clutching his bad hand with his good one as it twitches and the veins seem to expand and hollow out impatiently, as though the whole limb is waiting to strike out.   
Yuu takes a cautionary step back, even though he doesn't mean to and the inquisitive spark of hurt in Jun's eyes is enough to ensure him that his lover is starting to at least grasp at the general outline of the situation they are in.  
For the moment, the bustle of the ryokan's kitchen behind the fluttering fabric is the only real sound between them.  
Jun stills, even though the green in his eyes now has the specks of gold in it. But most of all, when he finally says the word, he just sounds infinitely bitter  
"Jigoku."  
Instinctively, Yuu's hand grips the katana's handle and for once in his life, he really wishes that his learned responses would cease for just long enough for Yuu to explain.  
"How long has it been like this?" Jun continues "You have to tell me, Yuu. There are these... White spots on my memory. It must have gotten real bad over the years if I can't even remember what I did when I used Jigoku, so Yuu--"  
"Not here." Yuu almost rasps out, with his eyes still cautiously dropped to Jun's badly concealed shivering limb.  
Whatever he did-- it didn't fix Jun. At this point, Yuu was honestly afraid, that nothing really could.  
But Jun was still looking at him lucidly, if with an edge of creeping worry in his own eyes.   
"Yuu--" he said again, almost pleadingly this time and Yuu's breath caught instantly. He definitely managed to bring back /something/ in Jun, but something told him that the monster was still there, clawing at its cage.  
"Let's get some food in ya first, alright?" Nervous beyond comparison now, Yuu tried to lighten up the mood by chinching the purse but still almost stumbled on the words reverting back to his Genfu undertone for the second there.  
"Deep breaths." He added and swallowing down his own fear, approached Jun as though he was a startled animal and placed his own fingers gingerly onto the pulse point in Jun's bad hand.   
The bandages were half undone now, too and that just couldn't do with how painfully swollen and half deadened the skin underneath looked so Yuu placed the pouch in the sleeve of his own kimono, before tending to it.  
As he suspected, Jun didn't do a very good job of calming down like he advised him and instead still shook in minute spasms, rooted to the spot as Yuu evened the gauze, trying very hard not to touch the inflamed skin more than necessary.  
"Yuu, tell me what is wrong with me. I feel very strange right now." Jun reported in the stretch of silence between them, but Yuu just lowered his forehead and shook his head as the wisps of hair obscured his expression.   
"You need to calm down first." He omitted the fact that he didn't know much about himself.  
"You have my sword." Jun continued, as though to distract himself from shivers.   
"You gave it to me." It wasn't a lie.  
"Why?"   
Yuu pointed his chin towards the direction of sensei's katana at Jun's side.  
"Wanted an upgrade, perhaps?"  
Jun didn't find that comment funny, gritting his teeth briefly as though grinding down his initial comment, before saying   
"I like to think that after all these years I can still tell when you're lying to me, Yuu."  
It was, sadly, the truth, yet Yuu still said  
"You'd be surprised. Anyway, I'm done for now."  
He still wants to address the fact that despite his questionable sanity, Jun is still able to tell that at least couple of years passed. This was still a far call from their usual bickering but it seemed like it was enough to distract Jun's arm for the time being, so it calmed down.   
"Yuu, we're not done yet--"  
"I agree. We're not. Let's see what this money can buy us in this shithole, shall we?"

***

Masashi feels an unease in the pit of his stomach which usually means but is not limited to the gnawing sense of worry over his imbecile of a bodyguard.  
He bites his lip, eyes zeroed on the sight in front of him, merely on the other side of the street, while standing next to him, Toshio unmovingly voices his concerns.  
"It appears that Yuu san is on a date."  
"Impossible," Masashi mutters offhandedly under his breath. Just half an hour ago, he was in the middle of instructing Yuu on how to ensure that their friend's date would go smoothly, but now... This happens, just as Masashi managed to lose sight of him for a moment.  
"Toshio san, don't you think this is just too conspicuous? Maybe... Maybe Yuu is being secretly kidnapped or something. We should-- we should definitely help him!" He finishes with passion and probably at the louder volume than he would like to consider but still throws his friend a hopeful look. Toshio san would surely understand. If Yuu wasn't up to no good, he was most definitely being dragged into something dangerous.  
But to Masashi's growing surprise, Toshio only manages to look speculative with hand put to his chin as he follows Yuu's movements.  
"It may be that you are right, Hashimoto san." Toshio initially agrees, but the boy feels under his skin, that he has more to share "But as for now, Yuu san appears to be... If I may, looking almost happy. I wish we could say for sure that this is supposed to be the plot made to harm him, but... Just for now. Let's leave it be."  
Masashi may be wrong, but there appears to be an almost half-smile at the corners of Toshio's lips. Not a malicious one, just sagely melancholic as though Yuu's predicament was pulling at his friend's heartstrings just a bit.  
Masashi blinks, still not understanding.  
"But-- Yuu-- He's sure to turn it around into trouble--"  
"And when the time comes, we will pull him out of it. Now, Hashimoto san, if we may. I believe there is still a couple of ingredients on our shopping list."

***

Jun's almost mellow like this. Reminds him of the first couple of months they used to spend training at the dojo, back when Yuu has just been picked off the brothel and Jun seemed to be under a strange sort of belief that not only was Yuu of noble birth but also a girl.

He's eating away at his dumplings like a man possessed, but Yuu can tell that his gaze wanders around the walls and becomes quickly preoccupied with the commotion outside, much like Yuu's own mind is used to doing, albeit in a subtler manner.  
Turns out their money could buy them a very respectable late dinner and the next bottle of sake for Yuu before the resources dried up, but Yuu isn't complaining.  
He's still feeling like this is some sort of strange dream he found himself into and could be woken up at any given moment. The more he eats, the more Jun seems to be recovering from his own stupor and now he pauses to flick locks of Yuu's hair between his fingers in a curious manner and it takes Yuu a moment, that he doesn't as much as admire Yuu's new hairstyle but he seems confused by the fact that it's gotten so long.  
"How long exactly has it been, Yuu?" He fires away finally like he can't take it anymore and Yuu just admires him for a second with a slight chuckle. He's drunk again and it helps him to deal with the reality of the situation, unsurprisingly.  
"Waaaay too long, Jun. I mean-- we had this moment when you made an attempt on my life, but you seemed to be really into it, to begin with..." Yuu's blabbering now and gets cut off only by Jun's disbelieving stare, suddenly in his immediate field of vision.  
"Wait-- Go back to this... Did you just say I made an attempt on your life?"  
"Ahh geez, I went and said it, didn't I?" Yuu says mournfully, fully promising himself to shut the fuck up from now on, but the things just keep spilling out of his mouth "I mean... I /think/ it was an attempt on my life? You seemed pretty angry but also kinda horny? Talk about sending mixed signals..." He finishes up with a whisper and reclines his head on his open palm with the self-depreciating look. He's vaguely aware of one of the patrons sitting nearby pausing in his own drinking to stare at them disbelievingly. Yuu /hoped/ he said that last part in a whisper.  
"What... Was I angry about?" Yuu's immediately impressed at how flat and composed Jun manages to sound. He's hardly this level unless he's dead serious so Yuu makes an effort of facing him, before answering.  
"Y'know... The usual stuff. All this possessive, jealousy bullshit that usually gets you going. Except-- this time you kinda threatened my charge's life while you threatened /me/ soo..."  
"Your charge?"  
"Yeah. Masashi. Can't tell how much you really wanted the kid dead and how much it was just to rile me up." Yuu muses with the drunken sort of distance towards the topic.   
"Unbelievable."  
"You really have no idea, don't ya? It's like someone wiped your memories clean-- and, that's funny considering this tournament's whole premise, honestly..." Yuu knows he's still babbling, but now cannot stop himself, seeing how his mind has already caught onto the thread of that thought and cannot let go. "You know? The whole 'demon of shogi' thing? Folks say he can remove your memories. Make you start over. Say Jun, if I told ya right now about all the nasty shit you did to me and my friends, would ya like to forget?"  
The dead silence greets him minutely, enough for Yuu to blink slowly and reconsider his words as he gazes upon Jun.  
Jun himself seems to be looking at him with an unparalleled sort of intensity and as they remain in this clash, he impulsively reaches out to snatch Yuu's bottle and take a huge sip himself, before answering   
"No. If that meant forgetting even a second spent with you, then-- no. I cannot wipe out the bad stuff just for the sake of... I don't know, peace of mind. Never had much of it, to begin with."   
While surprised at Jun's straightforwardness, Yuu can't say he's really shocked at his ex-lover's words.  
"Me neither Jun-kun. If that demon, or whatever, went up to me all like 'hey, that guy has been a real pain in your ass, hasn't he? Let's just make him gone forever." I-- I would tell him to go fuck himself instead..." Yuu's too drunk to convey a full intensity of the feeling he's carrying in his heart right now, but as always, Jun seems to observe him with his head resting on his hands with a small "ooh?" sound.  
"I feel like you haven't called me 'Jun-kun' in ages." He finally admits casually and just like that the charged atmosphere between them is gone. They were shit at the emotional speeches anyway.  
"It's a payback, ya asshole. Called me 'Yuu chan' out of nowhere earlier today."  
"Earlier...? Today..? Didn't we just meet by that stall like an hour ago?"  
"Ohhh, no. I'm not supposed to be saying that, aren't I? Listen Jun. Just-- listen to me. Something weird happened. Last I saw you all proper you were batshit insane, holding the kid hostage and all that. But today-- you just found me out of nowhere, but it was strange. You were all drowsy and unresponsive and then we dueled and then... You kinda drink my blood and I passed out...?"  
"You lost me at the blood drinking part, Yuu."   
"But that's the best part! It /fixed you/."  
"Alright Yuu, that's enough drinking for you for tonight."  
Yuu makes a distressed sound as Jun deposits the bottle from his grasp, but apparently, there is no fighting them as he just gently puts a palm up to his forehead and keeps Yuu and his grabby hands at the arms reach distance as he pays the bewildered shopkeep and soon they leave the ryokan.  
Jun complies at least as Yuu insists on him keeping the weird smelling hat on, although not without brief fighting over it as Yuu seems reluctant to disclose any details at all as to why Jun would need to keep his identity a secret.

Yuu's feeling shifty still as they traverse down the street and at about the halfway distance to Basho's house, he realizes that he can't just justify taking his nemesis there for dinner.  
"Yuu? You alright? We just stopped." Jun complains. Now that he's had some food into him, his impatient uncute side is starting to show again. Yuu successfully managed to dodge all the important questions about his current predicament, but it seems like Jun is just naturally returning to his natural character the more they talk.  
"Yeah, I-- can't take you home with me right now." Yuu scratches the back of his head, as he's trying to address Jun as lightheartedly as possible.  
"Alright?" Jun answers as though not really seeing where's the problem.   
"You'll be alright?"  
"If this is about having a place to sleep, then I'll get by. What surprises me more is that you've apparently a place to stay that you call 'home' instead of some shitty inn on the outskirts."  
Shit. Yuu's been busted.  
"Well... It's... Been a while. You could say I've had to change my line of work from the usual."  
Jun's eyebrows furrow.  
"Do you... Remember what happened to sensei?" Yuu asks impulsively at the halftone but before he can hope to get any sort of reaction from Jun, he hears the very familiar voice calling out to him  
"Yuu! What is the meaning of this?! You're late for dinner and keeping everyone w--" Masashi stops his fuming in the middle of the word as he stops abruptly with his large eyes glued to the figure of Jun. Even with his face concealed, he's apparently still looking familiar enough for Masashi to have a visible shiver running down his spine.  
Yuu automatically attempts to maintain the distance between the two as he installs himself between Masashi and Yuu with his back to the former.  
"It's alright, kid. Something kept busy, but I'm coming over right now."  
Masashi nods mutely, apparently still transfixed by Jun's unexpected presence here.  
"That your charge? Masashi?" Jun asks unprompted, making the kid let out the prompt squeak as he realizes that his suspicions have been confirmed and Yuu lets out the long sigh.  
"Yeah, Jun. That Masashi. I believe you haven't been formally introduced yet--"  
"Y-- Yuu? What is the meaning of this?!" To his credit, the kid is trying his damnest to sound outraged and not dead scared as he not so sneakily hides behind Yuu.   
If this escalates for ten more seconds, he will probably start pulling out his shugenja spells.  
"Masashi Hashimoto, I know this is looking bad." Might as well start pulling the full names tactic again, just so the kid knows he means business "Jun's... Kind of sort of doing alright at the moment..."  
"'Doing alright'?! This is /no/ explanation, Yuu! None at all! After-- after all, he's done to me... To-- to you..?"  
Leave it to the kid to not even let him finish. But what bothers Yuu even more right now is the subtle switch in Jun's attitude upon hearing the magic words.   
Jun's been trained to kill, just like him. So certainly threatening adolescents is nothing new to him. Killing children as well. But if there was one thing they promised never to do to each other outside of the dojo, was deliberately /hurting/ each other.  
"Yes, Yuu. What is the meaning of this?" Jun's voice is cold as steel he's carrying at his side right now. Yuu could be fooled that he has reverted back to his Jigoku state. Yuu's own right wrist twitches.  
"Nothin' much. You've been a bother to use both a while back."  
"You keep favoring your left side. You're limping. When you think I am not watching, you keep clutching at the bandages around your chest and wincing."  
Yuu purses his lips.   
"So I got bruised up in a fight. What about it?"  
"Yuu, I /know/ you. If there was half a chance you could have won this fight, you would have used Jigoku and got out of it with a couple of scratches at most."  
Yuu lowers his head. There are a couple of ready excuses in his head already, but the judging weight of the kid's stare is wearing him down, not to mention the constant litany of 'damn you Jun, you know me too well' playing inside of his head.  
"Not if I fought /you/, no." He finally admits quietly. He sees Jun's body be overtaken with a strange twitch as though stuck before he disposes of the hat and throws it onto the wet ground with a clatter.  
Yuu half readies himself for another fight, but to his surprise, Jun just seems the regular sort of furious, with his features contorted in a sort of pained expression, before he demands   
"Show me."  
"Show... You...?" Yuu clarifies, before the kid's voice booms at his side.  
"No! You are not allowed to take a single step in Yuu's direction or-- or I will obliterate you!"  
Yuu knows that this is no empty threat coming from shugenja but in Masashi's cracking voice it manages to sound more like a pleading warning instead.  
"I hurt you, didn't I? Show me." Jun ignores both of them. Yuu instinctively bunches up the material of his kimono in his hand around the place his mark has been placed.  
"There's nothing to be shown." He protests.  
"I am serious!" Masashi near shouts again and his voice reverberates through the empty street around them before an another, gentle tone complacens it.  
"Hashimoto san. Please stand back."  
Yuu's apparently just as surprised to hear Toshio as Masashi is because he stops shouting with only heavy breathing as he clutches the wet parchment with its ink dripping in his fist and turns in the direction of the voice.  
"Jun. Surrender while you still can."  
"Not before I learn what the fuck is this all about."  
"Excuse me..?"  
Despite his words, Jun half threateningly blows his coat away as he reaches for the sword with his bandaged hand with an intense expression. Yuu doesn't have to look to know that there is a hint of gold in his irises.  
"Woah, Woah, alright. Stop, both of you." Yuu says immediately, flailing his arms and half-consciously inching towards Jun despite Masashi's betrayed expression.  
Jun clearly doesn't seem to understand that Toshio is a noncombatant and apparently took his words as an invitation to a fight.  
"Tosh, I am going to explain as soon as I can, but... For now..." Yuu locks his gazes with his spiritual counselor's incredulous expression as he tugs on Jun's sleeve in hopes of pulling him out of the loop.   
"I need to get to the bottom of this, myself. Don't wait up with a dinner."  
***

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back to writing this story!!! This time properly! And chronologically! Hopefully with set schedule!! Also, Grammarly saved my life!!!

An hour later finds them at the edge of the rooftop as the late night lights of the ryokan's keep flickering beneath their feet.  
It was no easy feat getting up there, but Yuu was feeling moody and rebellious and so they kept traversing the rooftops until they found the agreeable one to sit on and discuss the recent events.  
"How come you're playing shogi right now?"  
"Didn't I explain? The kid is a shugenja. He keeps giving me instructions during the match with the magic hat."  
"Huh... Wouldn't that be really convenient in a fight? Knowing your allies' moves without verbal communication."  
Yuu has to chuckle at that.  
"Yeah, I've had the similar idea, on the first time."  
"W e don't need a smelly hat for that though, right?"  
"Sap." There's a minute silence before Yuu continues "What was it all about? You ran away for seven years. You put me in this position. I feel like some sort of apology is in order."  
Jun just blinks at him uncomprehendingly. It's rather rare to see him so dumbfounded but Yuu doesn't have time to cherish this victory as Jun's eyebrows quickly furrow back to distrust  
"I feel like I should be the one expecting apologies."  
"What for?" Yuu asks with the uneasy laugh in his voice before he can stop himself. Jun turns away with his hand put to his chin and hiding what no doubt is a pout. The rain keeps steadily falling, clattering onto the roof tiles and the surface of Yuu's goddamn hat strapped to his back.  
"What for?" Yuu attempts again, gentler.  
"You were keeping something from me."  
More like several somethings, Yuu muses but doesn't voice that thought. He just nods instead, wishing he could have some capacity of guilt in the face of this new unbalanced Jun, but then the visions of Masashi's terrified face as the sword was held to his gut come floating into his mind. He doesn't have to search further as the stitches to his stomach pull raw and burning at his skin as he repositions himself at the edge of the rooftop.  
It dawns on him that with his back turned Jun might not have noticed his slight nod and still awaits explanation with that telltale way his back hunches and muscles of arms bunch in weary anticipation even as he tries to pose unbothered.  
Yuu sighs.  
"Ya know, this might require a lot of explaining and I'm not sure this is the time we have right now."  
"An abridged version then, if you please." Comes the clipped response quick as a whip. Yuu can't help but chuckle at that. He really did miss the bastard.  
"Long story short. I was in the middle of... The job... As you ambushed me and my charge. You said a whole lot of things that bushido would probably frown upon, but what's new and then... Then you attempted to assassinate the kid right there in front of me..." Yuu trails off, unsure if he should proceed at the dawn of deafening silence coming from Jun's direction. Then, quietly  
"Masashi? Is that why he was so scared?"  
A powerful shugenja threatening to obliterate you with his spells is not something an average Hyuugan would classify as "frightened" but Yuu is quietly pleased that Jun managed to see through the ruse.  
"Yeah. I think he quietly hoped we would never see your ugly mug again."  
"That doesn't explain your injuries." Shit. No way to throw him off the track when he's in this intense of the state, isn't it? Yuu briefly wished he could see Jun's face at the moment but instead just bit his lip, before continuing with even less enthusiasm if that was even possible  
"As I said, you accosted us. Bruised me up a little..."  
Yuu barely has time to react as Jun tightens up and stands up abruptly. Yuu's Jigoku activates almost on the whim and he knows that their angry golden stares now mirror one another. The rain just keeps bruising harder and harder flattening jun's hair to his face as the rivulets of water keep flowing down his face. One would misplace them as tears but there is an unmistakable look of silent fury etched onto Jun's features.  
"I believe I said /no more bullshit/." Yuu just blinks with his mouth still slightly open as the sentence was never finished. It suddenly feels like his katana is too far away even as it dangles from his hip. If he moves, Jun is surely going to pounce.  
And that's why it surprises him when out of nowhere the sole of Jun's sandal context with his stomach right where the wound is. He sputters in shock and stumbles back as much as he can as he realizes that there is a slick trail of red emerging from his lips in spasmatic coughs. When he looks up in clear afront, both at his lowered guard and Jun's tenacity he notices that his gaze noticeably softened if not in an expression, then at least in a way his eyes are once more only speckled with dust of gold.  
"Jun, what the fuck?" He finally harks.  
"I was proving my point. Also, you didn't dodge that." More than anything, he seems baffled at this little detail. Yuu is not ready to admit to himself that for the brief respite he might have lowered his guard like a normal human being, still enough to be surprised when /Jun/ of all people decided to exploit his weakness.  
"Yeah, well shit, I didn't expect you to initiate a duel right here and then." Yuu spats letting the useless words ground him once again as he unsteadily stands up just to be at the same vicinity with the bastard in case he wanted to have another go at him. He still stumbles a little on the slick tiles however but before Jun manages to make any gesture to righten him up, Yuu simply loses his geta at the side of the roof, the feeling of harsh texture of ceramic under his bare foot sobering him up.  
Jun continues looking at him with this dumbfounded expression as though /he's/ the crazy one. Yuu makes the "come at me" gesture with his arms outstretched, noting his own slightly manic grin on his face as the pain settles into the pit of his stomach and turns into adrenaline.  
"Yuu, your eyes are still yellow." Jun makes no attempt at even slight movement and thus just exclaims calmly.  
There is an answering shout from beneath them, maybe from the ryokan's owner who finally realized he has unwanted guests on his rooftop or maybe just from the unrelated drunk revelry happening downstairs.  
Yuu's arms flop back at his sides uselessly.  
"We have to talk about your shitty reaction time."  
"Ohh, that's not the sweet talk you were serving me back in Jijinto."  
"That's what I'm trying to find out but you keep being as insufferably difficult as always." Jun's tone rises up even as the timbre of his voice is as steady as ever. The difference from their last encounter is staggering and Yuu doesn't mean that drunken stumble back in the alley. He missed this Jun. Jun who harnessed the storm beneath his composure.  
But instead what comes out of his mouth is  
"Yeah? And do /you/ know how difficult the last couple of years have been for me? Ya think you can just appear out of nowhere and demand explanations like you're some sort of lost fucking victim? Well, fuck that! Maybe I want some answers too, how bout that?!"  
The anger is still sizzling up at the edges of Jun's vision but now more than ever he just appears exasperated at Yuu's evasion tactics. There is a good chunk of chance he is still a little bit drunk or maybe not drunk enough to be having a remainder of this conversation right now and Jun seems to sense that because without a further word he jumps of the side of rooftop, seemingly disappearing into the night right until Yuu hears a couple of surprised shouts coming from the street level.  
And Yuu is left with the realization that he has no idea how to find him. The connection is cut.  
This all feels very oh so familiar that there is a bile gathering at the back of his throat. Or at least he presumes it's sentimentality getting back at him until he throws up vomit mixed up with blood. Jun sucker punched him alright.  
*  
Yuu crawls back home and is begrudgingly greeted by Masashi's fuming stare and Basho's knowing foxlike smirk. The whole gang appears to be here and waiting on him nonetheless by the table full of food.  
Yuu himself must be looking not unlike a very miserable and wet scoundrel that just somehow managed to slither his way into Daimyo's hold and after an insufferably long bout of silence Toshio finally coughs courtly, which apparently prompts Momoko into speaking  
"Welcome back, Yuu san. Apologies for starting without you," there she shoots a disapproving look to Hatch who already started helping himself to whatever it is on the plate and smells strongly of burned mushrooms. Seeing Yuu's uncertain look Momoko continues "The strangest thing, Yuu san. The mushroom stall burned down despite this downpour. Me and Hachiborei san were very lucky to escape unscathed, but alas the mushroom seasoning for today's meal might not be up to Toshio san standards."  
Yuu grunts in reply something that might passingly resemble a human speech. Momoko is still looking at him in this uncomfortable housewife manner as though looking for his silent approval and Yuu only knows this particular look by heart from the years of observing it being worked by the brothel girls for years. This particular epitome of feminine care seemed to be very popular with the clients at the time. Yuu silently ponders, even so knowing that it is rather rude if Momoko subconsciously chose this particular face to somehow appease him. It seems to be working rather splendidly on Hatch anyway as she offhandedly inquires in the same tone of voice if Hatch's food agrees with him.  
Hatch immediately starts singing burned mushrooms praises and enthusiastic nodding ensues. Yuu wishes that dissuading Masashi would be just as easy as he takes the seat onto the pillow right beside him, the mud and water clinging to him be damned. The frown deepens but his clipped expression remains in place and he does not utter a single word about what transpired a little while ago on the street. So they didn't tell the rest. Shooting a quick glance in Basho's direction, however, tells him everything he needs to know. The fox grin is settled entirely on him. Yuu unconsciously rightens his clattering katana where it lies beside him.  
"Yuu san, don't you think that's a little excessive?"  
The gesture does not go unnoticed as Toshio's smooth inquiry reaches him, drawing everyone's attention back to him "The Sword. During the meal." Toshio gestures with his chin saying each word slowly as though drawing child's attention to his ill table manners.

"Oi, what if we get attacked?" The twin sighs reach his ears and he catches Masashi rolling his eyes rather forcefully as he starts digging into the food himself, seemingly as the ultimate show of blatant disrespect for his bodyguard.  
"Oh my, but you are soaking wet." Momoko exclaims concernedly for the moment at least managing to drop her waifish facade and full back into the doctor's mode "That's not good with your injuries still healing, Yuu san. If you are out and prowling about, you should at least bring some manner of protection against the elements with you. As the matter of fact, I do remember lending you an umbrella just this evening."  
Yuu's blood runs cold.  
"I, uh, yeah..." Yuu struggles with the habit of scratching the back of his neck, the surest way to alert everyone of his intent to lie until he rather soberly remembers that /everyone/ is not /Jun/ and so he solemnly continues "I... It got lost in the storm." He shrugs innocently " But I promise to buy you another one. Tomorrow. I'll surely get you a new one tomorrow." He doesn't need to check to know that Masahi is disgusted by his behavior and the rather weak kick of his foot at his shin only elaborates that sentiment. Toshio is likewise back to eating with his eyes half closed and expression closed off, appearing to have no intention of participating in this conversation.  
Momoko however, appears to be delighted for some strange reason and claps her hands with an elated expression, which in turn pulls Hatch out of devouring his bowl of rice and mushrooms to shoot a suspicions gaze back at Yuu. Talk about the chain reaction here.  
"Please, Yuu san, do not worry! You do not have to repay me in any way. I am way more concerned by the fact that the umbrella couldn't protect you from this horrendous weather. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, there is no need to lessen our resources even more for such a frivolous thing."  
Maintaining an eye contact with Hatch, Yuu replies  
"It's not like I didn't have Masashi's chili hat to protect me, Momoko san. You are right, there is no need to mull this over."  
Hatch makes a strange expression at that, half a pondering grimace with his eyebrow upturned before he nods to himself and goes back to eating. One potential catastrophe avoided. The answer, however, seems to diminish Momoko's spirits  
"Ah, you're right. Masashi kun was very thoughtful to gift it to you after all..."  
Yuu is about to respond when Toshio's hand slides a full plate of steaming mushrooms in Yuu's direction with an unwavering glint in his eye  
"Eat, Yuu san. You had a rough evening I am sure and you need to replenish your strength before tomorrow's tournament."  
Shit. The tournament. He almost managed to forget. Thanks, Toshio.  
"Thanks, Tosh." He says, attempting to convey the multitude of his gratitude both for reminding him and keeping the secret from the rest of their friends.  
Toshio manages to blow his own cover partially, by adding ominously  
"We will talk in detail about the issue at hand after dinner." Then goes back to daintly eating another rice ball as though he didn't just drop that right in front of everyone. The mood at the table sours drastically, as Hatch and Momoko, in turn, throw each other and then the rest of them questioning looks.  
Yuu feels the urge to just stuff his mouth with food and do not respond accordingly to Toshio's glaring lack of decorum that managed to throw even a seasoned ronin like him off guard but Masashi kicks him again and so the idea forms itself in his head  
"Toshio, I don't think that tactics are something you should be discussing with /me/. I mean, the kid is right there." Masashi "humphs" haughtily there with his nose upturned like a bratty rich kid he still claims to be, playing along until Tosh, slightly begruffled finally catches on  
"Oh. Perhaps you are right, Yuu san. Perhaps all three of us should be discussing the issues at hand."  
No, Tosh, go back. This sounded even worse.  
Even so, with his brow twitching, Yuu throws him a cynical look over the table uttering "fine".  
Basho didn't say a single word right up until now and Yuu half expects him to just ruin everything by asking how did his advice manage to assist Yuu but instead he appears to be scribbling furiously at the side of his dish, managing to somehow look perfectly unaffected with one hand holding the sticks and the other writing away on the parchment.  
What an unsettling individual, Yuu manages to think just as for split second Basho's stare manages to land on him and immediately slither away. Yuu shivers unconsciously. It has nothing to do with the temperature inside, but Momoko ever the physician apparently had her sights on him for quite the while because she immediately pipes in  
"I still stand by my opinion that you should at least consider changing your garb, Yuu san. Not to mention taking a warm bath." If there ever was a medical term for saying "you look like shit" it would probably be it. Noticing his lack of response "if you feel too drowsy or in pain, then I would be happy to assist--"  
The rest of the answer drowns in the sputter of Hatch's as he suddenly appears to be going either in a cardiac arrest in his seat or choking on mushrooms and thankfully Yuu for the moment forgotten, Momoko assists by thumping his back until Hatch gets back to his senses.  
"Hatch san, are you alright?" Kid belatedly inquires with a mouth full of rice.  
He wished Jun was here even if it probably meant a lot less cleaning up involved.  
"Hachiborei san, are you quite alright? The strain of coughing appeared to break the blood vessel inside your nostril..."  
Yuu does not claim to be the medical expert but he thinks he knows what caused Hatch's sudden episode. Across from him, Tosh sighs rather forcefully  
"May we have one peaceful meal without anyone choking to death or dripping mud onto the floorboards?" This one is directed at Yuu apparently, so getting the message he finally gets up with a huff and as much dignity as he can muster with plasters of dirty hair clinging to his chest and shoulders. He really just feels tired and unhinged and possibly hungover right now and as the loose sleeve of his kimono slides dangerously down his shoulder he just unconsciously rightens it back up with his glazed eyes.  
"Off I go."  
"Yuu, tell me when you're finished. I'll bring you a heating charm." As close to caring as it will probably get with the kid.  
"Great idea. I love heated sake." He throws back with a lazy toothy grin thrown over his shoulder, already halfway on his way to the back room so he misses the kid's horrified expression but not the string of "baka's" that follow him there.

***

He flopped down onto the tatami mat with no intent whatsoever to undress. The many, many drinks he indulged in tonight has finally started catching up to him and with the grumpy realization, Yuu realized he might not be as young and springy as he used to be back in the days of wasting away the hard-earned if not entirely acquired by honest means money at the ryokan with Jun.  
Back when they pretended bushido actually meant something to them. Back when they had a place called "home" to crawl back into.  
He pushes an arm over his eyes, feeling the imminent headache approaching and rolls over with a near silent grunt.  
The tidbits of hushed conversation still carry over the thin walls but the topics seem innocuous enough and mostly reverberating with kid's half enthusiastic, half annoyed shouts at something someone said. Yuu lets his eyes fall closed.  
...  
The next time he wakes up, the house is nearly silent save for someone's lone footsteps in the corridor right beside Yuu but the tall figure passes by his door without slowing down and so Yuu is only left with his gnawing instincts rushing him to follow the shadow's path until it eludes the lamp's reach.  
He's unsure as to why he awakened, given that it is probably the middle of the night and both kid and Tosh seemed to find his hungover sight piteous enough to let him be for the time being.  
The window shutters are opened and the glimpse of silvery moonlight drips through the window lays a patch of light over Yuu's mat.  
Probably what woke him, he assesses drearily blinking away exhaustion and nausea that settled at the back of his throat. In this state, meeting Jun at all feels like a fever dream and by that he means even more so than it was back in that sodden alley.  
His back creaks when he sits up. Terrible.  
There's a low shuffling noise coming from the vicinity of the window. Yuu blinks again and when he looks up there's is an unmistakable figure of Jun crouching on the windowsill with a rather familiar umbrella opened up against his shoulder and shielding him up against the upcoming downpour like a red aureole.  
The shadows prevent Yuu from reading the look on his face but he seems hunched down and weathered down a little like the paper edges of umbrella he's holding. As though they didn't just have a big fight a couple of hours ago.  
"You dropped that." Comes the hushed greeting. "And I wanted to apologize."   
'When? How?' Yuu wants to ask and frowns, really calculating just when he got the umbrella from Momoko and how his Jun situation looked back then.  
"Did you... Follow me?" The question encompasses both the fact that Jun quite possibly stalked him for longer than it took to find him by the random stall in the middle of the main street or rather inquired if Jun got the right window on the first try or spent the remainder of this evening peeking into unsuspecting people windows, hoping it would be the one.  
The shadowy mass that is Jun rather visibly scratches his chin with a finger with his gaze drooped.  
"Why do you sound surprised?"  
"You made it look like you needed some alone time." Briefly wondering how this is what his life has come to, Yuu finally sits up with a great sigh. "You can keep the umbrella, by the way. It would look strange on me now if I suddenly returned it."  
"Suits you more." Comes the deadpanned response. Yuu can't help but crack the small grin.  
"'Course it does. Shirtless and soaking wet looks good on ya too." He brushes his hair aside absentmindedly and blinks sleepily before ushering a small yawn. The wet sound of approaching footsteps on the mat alerts him of the fact that Jun decided to enter the room.

There is no way to describe Jun other than /prowling/ which in itself is a very familiar sight down to the glint of gold in his gaze.  
Still, Yuu takes a tenacious step back, hand resting gently on the hilt of his katana. That seems to sober Jun up diminutively as though the sight of Yuu approaching him as a threat never failed to throw him off guard.  
The sleeve slides of his arm completely at this point, obscuring the white-knuckled tight grip he has on the tsuba as his lips flatten into a thin line. There is still plenty of bandages revealing themselves however and he can feel Jun collect the sight of them with a guarded uneasiness lurking somewhere behind this golden hue. Yuu swallows uneasily, unsure how to proceed.  
"All of this?" Jun asks simply. As though Yuu hasn't suffered worse. But never by Jun's hand or rather never with a genuine intent to /harm/. They've got plenty of bruises over the years of training and their fair share of freaking accidents involving broken bones and knocked teeth.  
But now Jun appears as serious as ever, as serious as Yuu has ever seen him since sensei's... Nevertheless.  
His eyes widen, taking Yuu's silence and guarded stance as an answer enough. It's probably one thing to hear Yuu drunkenly joke about Jun wailing on him and another one entirely to witness your once partner shy away from you as though you could break at any given moment.  
Yuu recalls his previous words said in the heat of the moment. Jun does not recognize that this has been hard for Yuu as well. That even more so than the scars he carved onto him, the memories carved inside his head itch and scab even more so.  
"That's it? That's what you want to know? If you can claim all the credit?" Yuu finally collects himself, responding with a mean grin. It's all fabricated. The same technique he used as the last time and quite possibly not the conversation kid should have been a witness off or at least not until a couple of years.  
Jun does not bite this time. But Yuu's attention is once again tonight drawn to his messily bandaged arm. What Yuu managed to fix looks inflamed once more but not in that bruised up veins sort of way he's been a witness of earlier. The twitchiness is not there and instead long, bright red indents running all the way across the arm has taken its place. He tries and fails not to linger at the sight, noticing that the size roughly matches up to that of Jun's fingernails dragging down...  
"You could have just told me," Jun sounds defensive and accusatory right now, making Yuu feel as though he was the one not reading the situation right.  
"I told you. You attacked the kid and me but we fended you off," the fact that Yuu does not remember how the fight actually ended gnaws at him for the split second before he continues with confidence "You were not yourself back there in Jijinto, or rather... You were a very extreme version of yourself. So I'm not holding that against ya, yeah?"  
Yuu realizes just how ridiculous his efforts sound the moment the words leave his mouth. His shitty genfu accent. His ready battle stance completed with a wavering smile he's throwing Jun's way. He's completely right. Yuu's the crazy one in this situation.  
Jun just shakes his head very slowly from side to side. Yuu's smile slides off his face like an ill-fitting mask.  
"Alright. What do ya want me to say? That I will hate you forever? That you and me it's over and done for? Want me to drive you outta house like a mad housewife?"  
"Just show me." Pleadingly.  
Yuu's steadily losing patience.  
"Show ya what?! Can't recognize your own handiwork?" Yuu grandly throws his arm aside letting the rest of kimono slide of his chest woobily uncovering more bandages, more scars old and new.  
"Half offa those are yours anyway, yeah? Once that healed over I doubt you'd even remember which ones were fresh."  
"I don't remember."  
"The damn right you don't. You sounded high as fuck anyway accusing me of adultery or whatever the hell--"  
Jun flinches weirdly but the inane instinct he has when it comes to Jun alerts him that it is not his guilt of denouncing Yuu starting to kick in.  
"Not remembering that as well, dontcha?"  
"Why do you have to make everything so difficult every time?" The clipped response finally comes but weak and unlike Jun sounding despite the familiar irritation in his phrasing.  
Yuu's off the mark. This is the entirely different kind of duel altogether. They are both missing some crucial pieces of detail here and unwilling to uncover them to one another.  
"You are the one breaking in into my... Into the house. I wasn't lookin' for ya at all. So you can go and shove ya shitty apologies up your ass for all I care." He's bargaining for the time at this point. Waiting for Jun to either snap or leave. But there he is, steady as a rock at the least fortuitous moment possible.  
As though sensing that Yuu is going to evade his every question he takes another two steps forward as though trying to placate a spooked animal. Drawing the sword in these close quarters is less than ideal unless Yuu wants to take down the walls along with Jun so he wishes himself with some temperance and instead faces him defiantly.  
It would be easier if Jun just came here to fuck, comes the insane though. So infinitely easier. He knew how to deal with that Jun. He knew where to push and when to shove. Composed Jun is another beast altogether. Could be thinking of anything. Could be mulling over something terrible inside that head of his and Yuu could never notice--  
He takes him by surprise again by pulling at the laps of his kimono and pulling him close as though unwilling to let go. Jun's shitty katana just clings and clatters as Yuu wide-eyed tries to slither free and away and only managing to unwind the hold even further.  
He doesn't exactly want to end up naked right now anyway but Jun resolves that riddle for him by unceremoniously yanking the entire thing down against Yuu's bafflement. He's wearing that concentrated frown on his face Yuu almost forgot about and came to associate with other types of a situation so when the blue material pools onto the mat, he's left strangely speechless and defenseless with only the salvaged sword left with his hold on his hand.  
"No foreplay. No nothing. You really must have hit your head hard." Comes Yuu's nonsensical words as Jun without pause continues his work as they both glance down now at the patchwork of scars and infinitely more neat bandages than the ones hanging from Jun's arm. He presses down briefly with his finger and Yuu stifles the moan of pain as the fingertips connect with the stitched up places under the bandages.  
Jun's is taking the full inquiry gently sliding his palms down Yuu's sides without a word of retort. The expression on his face is strangely taken but also quietly terrified.  
Jun, who mercilessly killed people, often for fun and reasons completely unrelated to logic was now mourning a loss of something. Mulling over the possibility that he violated Yuu's body in some way and just couldn't recall that.  
Maybe he needed just the one final proof that Yuu wasn't mistaken. That Yuu wasn't trying to manipulate him or guilt trip him into thinking he was somehow responsible for this temporary crippling. Nevertheless, there was only one thing now that Yuu needed to stop him from discovering.  
The widest patch of linen over his stomach, where Jun's fingers now wiggle inside over the layers of bandages. Yuu grabs his wrist unceremoniously into a steel grip. They look up into their eyes at the same moment. Startled and the other pleading.  
"Listen--"  
"Whatever it is that you are hiding under there--"  
Yuu shakes his head  
"No, Jun. Listen to me." A bout of silence. Miraculously he does. "Believe me when I say you were not yourself a'right? And if what I did run its course, you probably won't be in a couple of hours again." That's what Basho said anyway. A temporary solution to his troublesome man. Talking about Jun like he was some sort of pest.  
"What does that mean even..?" Jun is looking more and more troubled with every passing second as though Yuu has just drawn his attention to some silent ticking clock right above his head.  
"That means that ignorance is a bliss. At least until I find a permanent solution to fixing you right up."  
Jun's brows furrow. He hasn't seen him so lost back since the days of his childhood training. He's almost incredulous, staring at Yuu again like he's some peculiar puzzle he can't figure out. Yuu let's out a great sigh. Jun's hands tighten in his bandages despite the hold like in the bout of frustration he might as well just tear the whole damn thing off.  
"Listen. You are cursed. Partially, it's my fault. No, wait, that's... That's actually mostly my fault. These seven years you can't remember? So much happened that I don't even know where to start. But we had to split up. Or rather... I really did have to drive you off like a mad housewife."  
"I left?"  
"Yeah. Listen. That's not important right now. Focus on the curse." Yuu gestures with his chin to Jun's oddly unresponding and unfreaking out demon arm. "You overdid it with Jigoku big time... And now that sensei is dead I can't figure out... Can't fix--" he bites his lip, knowing that he already probably said too much by the way Jun drags him by the bandages closing the remaining distance between their bodies so he can feel his panicked breath on his own cheek.  
"Sensei..? Is dead..?"  
Yuu averts his gaze, closing his eyes. He really did it this time. Jun is still searching for his eyes, awaiting some sort of explanation. That Gensai no doubt died standing. Died in a fight (which was not entirely untrue) and that Yuu at least revenged and honored him.  
"You need to go." He grits out the words knowing damn well, Jun won't listen not with his eyes all shifty and uncomprehending right now like he's looking searching for a culprit even now and then in this darkened room.  
"Yuu, I am reaching the capacity of keeping up with all your damn secrets." Comes the breathy response and Yuu can feel the silent fury emanating off of it.  
He already fucked up big time. Might as well throw rest of burden off his chest.  
The grip on Jun's wrists lessens.  
"Then go, do it." He knows Jun was going to obsess over it anyway like he obsessed over every other thing he cherished in his life. Jun's grip at least slackens as well as though suddenly uncertain until he does in one decisive move unwind the thread of the bandage over Yuu's stomach.  
The linen pools on the floor alongside Yuu's discarded kimono in a swirly spin and for the second Yuu just wishes that the room will be too dark for Jun to make out anything.  
He knows he can't see the damn thing aside from Jun's polarizing golden gaze. He's not sure if his own was mirroring his own at this point but he is now as calloused fingers press into the sensitive pattern of scars and he feels like he should grab onto something. Like he should be grabbing onto Jun like always when there is an imminent danger.  
For the second Jun seems baffled like he was expecting a gigantic hole in Yuu's stomach or gods know what but he studies the pattern almost religiously and Yuu knows that it takes him a couple of tentative swipes of fingers he dares not interrupt until pieces click together.  
"It reads 'pure'... Or... Or.."  
"It reads your fucking name I was led to believe. Thanks for clearing that out." Yuu replies with the snark he does not feel, trying and failing to repel the charged atmosphere of the moment.  
"Why is it.."  
"You did it, you absolute fool. With an intent of marking me as your property undoubtedly. I was not even surprised when I realized, you know? Always knew there will come time when you'll actually act upon one of your fucked up fantasies--"  
Jun has no response to that. Yuu even expected an outraged exclaim of his own name like a normal person would react but Jun is just starting with the blank glazed over expression at his own handiwork. Yuu is about to say yet another biting comment when the bandaged hand he'd yet kept at the safe distance around his waist twitches spasmodically.  
Yuu's breath catches up in his throat. He's not aware if Jun is aware of what exactly that means in his beduffled state so he makes sure to say quickly  
"You made sure. Happy now? Then fucking go." Jun makes no sign of understanding what Yuu is trying to correspond so finally he tips his finger over the tsuba of Jun's sword about to slip it open.  
About to slit Jun's throat probably if need be or... Oh. Who's he kidding, he'd probably go down with the bastard without even trying to--  
"Yuu, this is... Mine? Is it all mine?" Three seconds away Yuu would be fooled that Jun is still mulling over the fact that he essentially runs him down with the sword but the tilt of his voice is different now. There is a slight wonderment there. A palpable loss of dread.  
Yuu pushes away and miraculously Jun lets him go and do so as now the distance between them lengthens phenomenally.  
"Go now."  
"I did this to Yuu." Slipping into the third person was never a good sign. Jun was subconsciously putting a distance between himself and Yuu. Just like the last time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's the childhood flashback!

*

When the yakuza comes knocking at the orphanage's rickety door metaphorically and practically it is always a good time to find yourself a damn good hiding place or at least rat out the older boys out of your usual spot before the heavy footsteps manage to reach your room.

You're not dumb at this point and know that something about your face that you are yet not quite ready to understand, attracts glances and not the usual kind that will get you a pitiful words and the handful of ryo from the old ladies on the streets.

It's the dangerous kind of attention. Just enough for the shady types to try and lure you in with the promise of food or a dry place to sleep. Leery stares that make you want to start hurling stones at these strangers as your short legs carry you away as fast as you can go.

And now they were at the orphanage.

As you grew up things became a little bit more clearer, although you were still unsure how this concerned you in particular as well along with the geniunely terrified older girls. There was no escape for them, that for sure.

The first thing that dangerous looking man with the twin scar over his cheek did was to command the orphanage workers to line up all of the females in the main room as the boys made their best to make themselves spares, was it their sister or their friend concerned.

Yuu had no such things weighing him down and thanks to his slight build he was usually quick to find himself some sort of hole to wait it all out, before couple of the girl wailing and shaken were carried off as though they were never here in the first place and the orphanage would soon go back to the way things were here always.

Not this time.

Keisuke pushes him away as Yuu tries to catch up to the older boy and with the soft yelp, Yuu lands on his ass in the middle of the hallway as Keisuke throws him the one last unreadable glance before he and two of his friends frantically dissapear behind one of the many doors.

Yuu's quick to pull himself together and assess the hallway with the light coming out of the only window at the end of the doorway is leading to the headmaster's room where they are forbidden from entering unless proven otherwise to receive some sort of punishment for the slights they may or may not have been guilty off.

He still hears frantic whispers here and there as well as the yakuza's bolsterious voice underlaying all of that, so Yuu quickly makes his decision and picks one of the doors at random, planning to just wait it out in one of the hideyholes behind the wooden panels where sweat and plaster gathered at your back as you listened intently and tried to stop your heart from—-

"What do we have here? Eh?"

Shit. /Shit. /

Yuu did not dare turn around, with his hands already clenched at the ricepaper panel. He though he saw some sort of motion on the other side of the rickety wall like someone was observing him warily but it soon proved useless as someone else roughly gathered him up by the collar and near pulled off the floor with the force of it.

He attempted to connect with the shaby kick of his bruised bare foot, but the world turned around as he was turned towards the Yakuza's breath stinking obnoxious smirking face, eyed like an exotic sort of animal.

"Thought these were all of the girls you said, eh Sayu? Or did you try to swindle me by selling the prettiest of them to other guys?"

Yuu's eyes widened in horrified realization as he understood that he wasn't going to just be punished for attempted snooping around during the inspection. This guy thought he was a girl for some reason.

"I... I'm not..." He squacked out but Yakuza didn't pay him any mind at all right now, instead addressing the woman who for better or for worse has been trying to make the yakuza come to the same realization without making him look like a complete idiot while doing so.

"I... Shinji san. Yuu kun is actually a boy, you see—"

"Bullshit!' Shinji interrupted her and the pumping vein appeared at the side of his forehead as he sneered ugily. Even if he did believe Sayu's claim, this was completely irrelevant right now and even Yuu was able to grasp that. What was the yakuza supposed to do with him right now? Bow and apologize for the mistake?

"This ain't no boy, Sayu. At least none I have ever seen with a face pretty like that. You just tryna save this one for the higgest bidder..."

"No, no...! I'm a boy, I swear!" Yuu finally shouted, closing his eyes tightly in the rising palatable fear as he kicked his feet into nothingness some more. The grip on his collar tighened, making it even harder for his obstructed windpipe to not make him panic and now he just found himself repeating the same string of 'nononono-'s over and over again.

"We're gonna clarify that back when we arrive to the brothel, Yuu kun."

 

*

Jun spent his first three months of training with Yuu, thinking that he was a girl. It had, of course nothing to do with Yuu's blade techinque critique or simply being a prejuidced bastard, and more with Yuu's face, the fact that they were both respectfully ten and eleven years old and the fact that the sensei never really bothered to clarify, simply calling you "a brat" at all time in a nice gender neutral manner.

Jun's been mystified by his fellow student from the very beginning but naturally kept himself in check, seeing how Sensei would probably not appreciate distupting the practice with the smalltalk or even getting past the uneasy expression on Yuu's face every time Jun caught himself staring regardless.

They spent weeks and weeks practicing stances and yet Jun never noticed. Yuu just always looked unreasonably sullen for some reason with his long, white hair covering the majority of his face and obscuring the vision until Sensei finally called an end to it, by grabbing him by the collar and making Yuu drop his bokken with a startled yell after he failed to see the hit coming from Jun's direction from the nth time.

The rest was a mixture of heartfelt pleading and the soft swish of the scissors in motion as Sensei quite literally caught Yuu in the headlock and ignoring the protests, has cut majority of his hair, making it pool silvery and dull on the mat.

Jun watched mesmerized at the person who emerged from within, with the unobstructed and stubborn glint in their eye, before they ultimately thanked the sensei by biting painfully the hand that held them and running away to the chorus of Sensei's curses and reprimands.

Jun's been to stupified by the time that he believed he would never see his fellow student again, after such a display of ungratefulness and disrespect. And yet, by the end of another day, they emerged from the dojo's entrance with their hair newly washed and unevenly cut and sporting a giant bruise under the eye.

Jun stopped practicing just to look at them, overlayed by the low hanging sun coming from an entrance. Yuu was pouting but appeared oddly taken by just observing Jun without joining in, not as much as in act of hesitating but some inner resolve keeping them from entering the training hall.

Him and Jun engaged in a minute stare contest, a halfhearted one at best until Jun broke the silence by posing the question that has been bothering him ever since Sensei brought Yuu in on that rainy day.

"Why would a girl want to be a samurai?"

He's been told what he knew and he knew what he's been told. Women were mothers. Brothel working girls. Occasional Yakuza members in which they seemed to excel if Sensei's words were to be taken seriously. But a samurai girl? What would she gain from it? No esteemed family in their right mind would associate themselves with a female retainer.

Yuu's brows furrow and they don't answer. Jun rarely hears them speak outside of practice anyway and it's even rarer for any of it to be directed at him so he's doubly startled when Yuu seethes out a single "idiot" and turns around on their feet, running back down the path towards the common house. Her feet clad in wooden sandals make a small pitter patter sound on the grainy road and it's the only sound echoing in the abandoned dojo.

Jun is just left standing there, still holding his bokken and unable to realise why he's been called a baka, aside from the fact that maybe this girl has a soft spot to where it comes down to discussing her gender.

*

None the wiser, Jun and Yuu continue with their training under Sensei's watchful eye, despite Yuu's occasional and vocal mutiny as though they've been put to it against their will and still hadn't come to terms with finding themselves in this new situation.

Jun briefly wonders which noble family Yuu comes from and how they must be faring to send their daughter to undergo a samurai training. There is no doubt in Jun's mind as to why he's here, simply because the thoughts of wonder has been never seeded by anyone in his own mind. He just tries to do his best and treasures the moments when Sensei recognizes him from it, but aside from that there is a dull pinch of annoyance every time he sees Yuu obviously butcher the stances and footwork just for the sake of doing some fancy manouver that Jun's never quite ready to react for.

Yuu seems to favour these kinds of stunts, where he will force Jun into thinking he will go for one thing and then unexpectedly doing the other. It would be downright obnoxious if done by any other novice, but miraculously more often than not Yuu seems to be pulling it off with class and with Jun ending up on his butt on a mat.

They're so quick on their feet and there is an abrasive sort of grace to it, like it didn't take any effort at all to just take a blade and spur like a nightingale getting to flight.

Jun's never been good with metaphors but it's suprisedly the only way he knows how to put it.

He spends one morning just observing the birds on the low hanging tree branches. Springly and always in motion. Jun tries to follow their mothions with his eyes and trying to predict their actions but as soon as he blinks, they are already somewhere else, already flying away, already with a branch in their beak looking around frantically but in search of what Jun is unable to say.

In a way of training, he tries to catch one of the redbellies, the bird looking at him with the curious sort of caution in its unreadable guzik eyes as Jun climbs up the bark and balances onto the branch with his knees bent and arms outstreched. It reminds him of Yuu, just as unapproachable despite their close proximity.

The bird seems unreasonably calm and unpertrubed, even though they tilt their head and let out a questioning melody before Jun lurches forward and they take flight with the sort of hurried nonshalancy as though Jun has just proven to be the unrepentable pest. Jun almost loses his balance on the low branch and catches himself with a yell at the last moment, hugging the branch that keeps swaying dangerously.

If it wasn't bad enough, that's how Yuu finds him, pocketing the broken sakura branch that has apparently crashed onto the ground in spite of Jun's efforts. They look unsurprised in Jun's behaviour and even as Jun's lets out a weak "oi.." hanging upside down and about to require an assistance, Yuu just approaches and standing on his sandaled tiptoes points the branch upwards at Jun and unexplainably tickles the boy's nose with the blossoms like a slow torture still with the completely blank expression.

Jun tries to turn his face away furiously and snizzles but the branch follows him until his nose if full of flower dust and the sneezing reaches the unavoidable level at which the force of it forces him to weaken his grip on a bark and he crashes down with a painful yell onto the grass.

For the moment the pain in his back is too much and it forces his eyes closed, but then when he finally recovers and opens his eyes, there is only a cloudless blue sky above his head and no sign of Yuu in sight, except for the abandoned flower branch.

Jun never found out why the bastard did it in the end.

*

The killing starts pretty soon or just about the time Yuu is forced to leave.

Despite doing the good progress, he is apparently still not up to Sensei's expectations. Even though Yuu doesn't seem very broken up about it or his mother being called 'a pirate's whore' there is still this dejected air about them as though they hoped that the truth ultimately wouldn't come out.

Jun forced himself to ask Yuu if he wanted to keep practising with him countless times but it never as much as ended with the haughty shrug. Jun doesn't understand. There seems to be this unpenetratable divide between them, as though Yuu was looking at him through some sort of magnifying glass filter that causes him to see Jun's faults and cracks that he wasn't aware of. It takes him close to boiling and he clenches his fists, cursing himself for trying to help in a first place with the sort of unflinching samurai pride that has been beaten into him.

But Yuu doesn't leave, until what Jun has come to perceive as "The Incident".

He is not sure how much Sensei himself has upstaged about that but the fact is that one day, an elegant lady founds herself seemingly lost at their backyard and happens to spot Yuu and Jun practicing. The situation is as strange as it is to Jun already and so much that he pauses to stare in wonder and gets himself a whack in a head from Yuu with wooden bokken for the trouble but while he's forced to pout and fret over the bruise on his forehead, the lady seemed to approach with seemingly no sort of restraint and started to ooh and ahh over Yuu of all people.

Jun is quick to remind himself that Yuu's manouver wasn't that impressive in the first place and caught Jun unaware just because he was caught staring at the lady in question but it soon becomes apparent that she seems to be more taken with Yuu's appearance as the whole and not his fighting prowess.

Yuu's caught standing in a state of mute shock like an expressionless porcelain doll being moved around this way and that as the lady delicatedly takes hold of their long hair and seems to examine the texture in deep thought, before even more baffedly, forces Yuu to open their mouth and examines the inside of their mouth and teeth.

Jun's on the verge of calling the Sensei to remove this crazy lass from their dojo but as abruptly as it started, the lady seems to leave Yuu alone and straightens up with her palm up her chin and in thought for a moment before asking,

"How old are you, child?"

Yuu stares at her unblinkingly. Jun knows the answer to that question. They were both approaching being twelve this summer but Yuu seemed as reluctant of disclosing this information as Jun has felt. Besides, it was just plain creepy to pose a question such as this out of the blue.

The lady seems to be finally catching up on this as well, because she straightens herself as though imagining herself appear more professional looking than she was.

Speaking of looks, Jun finally catches on what ticked him off about the lonely lady wandering the streets seemingly out of rhyme and reason and assulting hard working students of martial arts. Her face is covered in the veil of white paint and her lips are painted a provocative red that now smiles begeniungly at the both of them. Her hairstyle alone should be a tell enough as only geishas of the Red Light District here in Genfu wear them pinned up like this. Combine that with her colourful kimono and you got yourself just that.

She's still expecting some sort of reaction from Yuu but their features just appear more and more resigned as though anticipating the woman's soon departure. The geisha doesn't seem put off by the act though.

"You're looking a bit underfed so it's a bit hard to tell... Eleven? Twelve? Perhaps a late bloomer?"

"It's no use. I see what you are trying to do onee-san and this is exactly where I just crawled out from." Despite this deceptively crude words, Yuu still bows politely with the bokken held to his chest in both hands. The woman seems momentairly startled, but just as quickly recovers with a blink and a slow smile.

" I see. Fare well then, my dear."


	5. Chapter 4

Surprising no one, Jun's demon arm turned out to be their next opponent on the mission to rid Hyuga of its oni occupants. Yuu entered the strange state of both trying to keep his excitement in reins and looking like the worse news could not possibly reach his ears at this point. He was the one to count Jun's arm of all things as their enemy, instead of the whole of Jun as he were, bloodied and grinning and he himself looking like he was facing the very difficult dillema between wanting to dismember Yuu and climb into his bed.

He was the last team member they needed at this point.

And yet, miraculously.

Toshio wanted to believe that this somehow slipped emperor's Satsuma notice, because while they really did manage to exorcise Jun's demon arm, there still remained the conflict between finishing the job and letting the man live.

Masashi for once tried to rationalize, instead of trusting his feelings.

"Think about it, Yuu! What good would it take if we only weakened the snake oni?! Took the memory machine from the kitsune?! It just doesn't make sense— As— as long as they remain in this world, they will do only harm."

No one doubted that given a chance, right now Jun would have done them a great deal of harm. And yet, as his own katana's blade remained hanging above his neck Yuu's stare has been as intense and golden as ever. And yet, his breathing was ragged and Toshio could see the naked despair in his gaze locked with the golden-green stare of his loved one.

They seemed to be locked in a wordless discussion of sorts, as Masashi's words carried over, Yuu's stance still locked ready to kill as Jun has lain between his feet with his now useless arm still twitching unconciously.

"I can't do this." Yuu declared suddenly in a strangely level voice. If the words made any impression on Jun, he guarded his expression well.

After that the scene unfolded very quickly. There's been cries of outrage from Masashi and Toshio as well probably, although he preferred to just call them the pleads for reason. Hatch started outright yelling that he would finish the job himself if Yuu wasn't the man enough to do it himself. And Jun, the bastard just started laughing although it did not seem like the relieved cries of someone whose life been spared and more about the spazoid laughter of a man who had nothing left to lose in this world. Yuu started crying at some point, simply saying "Fuck this! Emperor has been wrong— I— I am no Sword. I can't do this any longer."

Now Jun started wheezing with laughter, as though Yuu performed some delightful bit of kabuki for him.

"Oh, at last, love. You are finally starting to see how pointless it all is."

Toshio would definitely not stand for bad mouthing emperor's dreams and taken aback Yuu stopped crying and presumed to do the same.

The brief fight ensured in which Jun was not really in position to defend himself any longer and so just took the beating instead. Didn't appear repentant in the least though. And so, in the middle of it all, they somehow decided that Jun could live. For now.

*

Toshio tried to entertain the thought of simply leaving Jun for the last, after they would be done with the remaining three of demons, but Yuu's attitude quickly dissuaded them from such simple way of thinking.

They arrived at the renowed if currently dying down dojo in the mountains, lead by its current young succesor, who seemed more interested in playing shogi herself than carrying on with her disenheartened attitude with what little left of the students she has got.

They were in severe need of resting and the real vacation this time and with Yuu's instance that they should at least wait for Jun's state to stabilize so he would not become hindrance at the road, they decided to rest in the valley for a week or so.

It was as though someone breathed new life in Yuu's lungs.

*

 


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What haunts me is the fact that I don't actually remember if the kid's name was Ige or something similar sounding but I'm too tired to go all the way back and check. Please fandom, correct me if I made a mistake and I will go back and make things right. 
> 
> Also, at this point in my bullshit timeline, Jun got stranded outside the baron's island and while he was feeling bloodthirsty but mostly bored out of his mind waiting for Ronin, he started agitating the hyugan countryside as he was known to do in the past when he was not smoking excessively and mutilating Yuu's friends.

Yuu knew the villagers would rat them out, the moment general Shatao has made his grand entrance into the poor village, swatting at the farmers like flies with his exhibit of manpower and general sense of superiority.

The demon even looked the part with the beaked mask fixed firmly on his face and the otherworldy aura surrounding the whole ordeal of his arrival. If villagers weren't keen on ratting them out right now, they probably did so earlier, seeing how despite the promise of this being just the ordinary examination, the figure on the horse seemed stricken and on edge for some reason, gripping the horse rails tightly and looking around with the aura of prideful anger peppered with unease.

"The village... Of Tanimura.... Truly in pitiful state." The muffled voice noted as his samurais dismounted to ordeal the villagers into groups on men and women as though they were cattle. One of the soldier's in the helmet announced

"156 people inclined for since last winter. I will need a statement about births and passings to clarify that—"

Despite Yuu's fears it all seemed pretty standard as for now. He didn't mean to lower his guard by any means however. It was hard enough for Borgia to convince the farmers that some random scrappy looking samurai was now in his employment, not to mention an ex-yakuza, a little kid in a blood red kimono that attracted just too many stares for being way too expensive looking, just like it's bearer and the anonymous stranger with a broken arm and face hidden under a straw hat, that was most defnitely not a dirty ronin who certainly did not pretend to use his katana as a walking stick. It was a mess.

Lost in thought, Yuu almost missed the official part of the inspection ending and it seemed like general Shatao was readying to make some sort of announcement of his own. Hopefully about the impending comeptition, so it saved Yuu the pain of having to extract the little information they could from the clueless villagers.

"Anyone harboring the ronin with golden eyes in their household will be executed on spot."

A ronin with golden eyes? Yuu's body froze over. Could it be that someone already informed Shatao about the emperor's plans of assassinating him? Except... This was not the posture of the man who was anticipating the incoming attack. He was oddly put upon as though the individual who has already tasted death on their tongue and was eager to extract the culprit before the sword emerged from the deathly mist and finished the deal.

Looking for ronin with golden eyes. And yet Yuu did not recalled their paths intertvining ever since they left the island, nor earlier—

There was a peculiar grunt at his back, not unlike a scolded child that was yet still fairly amused by their bad deed. It also sounded oddly like Jun.

Yuu has managed to thrown one, horrified stare at his companion's eyes gleaming in the dark of the barn and even then he knew they were twinkling in amusement at general Shatao apparently shitting his pants over something Jun did, but before Yuu could eleaborate, the traitor finally emerged in the person of the village's mayor saying

"He's here! The samurai instructor we sent for. He's the ronin you are looking for in my house."

This was bad.

There was a drop of silence, during which Masashi has managed to let out some outraged peep, knowing as well as me that I did not yet manage to make an attempt on general's life but not knowning that the culprit was right there beside them, so Yuu settled for just covering Masashi's mouth crudely as the kid struggled under his half headlock.

"Want me to deal with this?" Jun asked with a quiet nonschalance.

Yuu didn't doubt that his resolution of the conflict included decimating the general hear and there in front of the whole village and possibly starting the civil war as an afterthought, not to mention not being safe in Hyuga anywhere anymore since every shithole in this country would call for their hides.

But yeah, the prospect of ending it here and there did sound promising for the lazy ass part of Yuu.

Still before Yuu could make a decision, general Shatao bellowed.

"Reveal... yourself! You godforsaken... demon!"

Jun's career as a demon ended the moment Yuu embedded his sword in his dominant sword arm and Yuu wasn't about to stroke the asshole's ego any more than it was necessary. Staying hidden sounded like a perfect option for a time being, except general Shatao was already dismounting and slowly but steadily heading in the direction of their hideout, followed hastily by the fellow Yuu saw earlier counting down the villages.

Well, no choice then.

Yuu let the kid go, at the same time feeling like as though Jun has sensed his intention and despite being in no position to fight anyone right now without tearing himself apart, he felt the familiar sensation of having his old sparring partner at his back. Jun's breathing visibly slowed and when Yuu has thrown him one last look before emerging into the light, he was already in the stance prepared for battle, despite having no weapon.

Like that ever stopped the crazy bastard before.

Yuu half expected Shatao to realize his mistake as Yuu approached, but instead of that the general seemed ever more uneasy at Yuu's casual gait approaching towards the man and wasting no time harrumped

"Drop... your weapon... fiend!"

Yuu has been called many things and fiend wasn't even the worst of them, but coming from the mouth of this dignified old man it almost made him want to chuckle. He would sound like a father catching a boy in an act with his daugther despite the geniuine alarm in his presence.

Would he drop his sword? In this state Yuu's chances of defeating the bastard were close to none. Not with him wearing the full armour and surrounded by his lackeys. Not to mention the villagers calling for his blood. And Jun's noisy katana needing a whetstone immediately.

So he did the unthinkable and dropped the weapon into the mud with an audible slump of sludge hitting the sheath.

There were voices of outrage coming from the villagers, not to mention calling him a coward. He kept forgetting that they still mostly thought him a samurai, despite Shataoi's claim.

Funilly enough, it seemed to make the general even more wary, as though an unarmed Yuu was even more dangerous than an armed one.

Dammnit Jun, what did you do? An angry thought passed through his mind, despite this working in his favour right now. A shaken Shatao would expect Yuu to take a certain cause of action to assertain his victory. Too bad Yuu wasn't keen on fighting in the first place right now.

At this brief stalemate lasting maybe three seconds, Shatao seemed to finally make his mind and started approaching towards Yuu at the leisurely pace.

It quickly turned into an urgent gait as he unsheated his katana and lifted it up breaking into a charge. The tension at Yuu's back was just a paltable as this of inpending doom going in his direction and not just only in Yuu's muscles. Jun's presence was almost the one of the hunting hound, ready to break free of its leash and devour it's prey.

Except Jun was no dog. He was a wolf.

Though he could scarely breathe let alone move, Yuu made on single gesture of stop with his hand behind his back, stopping Jun from taking action and just in time before Shatao in full gear with his sword arm raised filled his field of vision and Yuu felt the cold whiff of steel barely under his windpipe but not pressing.

Shatao seemed at once dissapointed and relieved as he said close enough for Yuu to listen.

"You're... not the one I'm hunting... right now."

Yuu gulped as the blade retreated and he let himself take a shallow breath at that.

"And yet, there is a certain degree of skill I am sensing in you. I await your participation in the competition, my silent instructor." And with that Shatao retreated, but not before saying "I entrust this one in your care as well." His retreating back was the only thing Yuu saw as the man motioned towards someone and just as the general moved away to mount his horse Yuu saw who he has meant.

The lackey he has seen earlier. The samurai entrusted with counting the villagers was now visibly flailing as though thrown off guard with a soft sound as the general gave an order to his men and with the thump of horse hooves they galloped out of the village and the valley.

For the moment, the only sound left was the soft neighing of the one remaining horse that helped himself to the sparse grass in front one of the huts.

The sound of urgent light footsteps coming from behind Yuu changed that soon after, followed by the sound of near silent ones approaching as well.

"What was that supposed to mean!?" Masashi has finally unleashed his doubts "He said he was looking for the golden eyed ronin, didn't he? And that... that could only mean Jigoku, right Yuu?" Masashi has blisfully lowered down in volume for these last few words, adressing me now as though expecting immediate answers.

I have thrown an uneasy look in Jun's direction who for his credit, attempted to look as inconspicious as possible, looking around with the decevingly lazy expression with his long sleeves crossed at hands as though he was a devoutful monk. He was having too much fun, that one.

I picked katana off the mud, looking for an answer myself.

"Possibly. But there are two of the people in this village who fit the profile."

"But... But he couldn't, would he?" Masashi didn't even bother to address Jun with this question himself. Yuu thought it was probably too much to hope for the kid to do so with the scar his love left there the last time they were in the talkative mood.

"Yes... Would he?" I posed this as a question towards the kid, but my gaze was steady at Jun. What Masashi didn't know was the fact that we were both essentially useless right now as combatants. I still had my good arm but my Jigoku was as good as gone, while Jun still regained his Jigoku but couldn't do anything with it due to his sword arm still recovering.

It was like a blind man was leading a deaf one and our chances of survival of this impending competition were just dropping dramatically but as much of the wretch as I was, I was not going to dump it all on the kid at once.

"Well, we both know it wasn't you who made general Shatao run like this, so it leads me towards interesting questions towards our other troublemaker."

I felt more and more like a mother trying to placate two of my unruly children and Masashi was now throwing a stinky gaze towards Jun who seemed not to bother in the slightest, despiste the kid being a certified Shugenja who could still call a thunderbolt at his ass. Instead he was now yawing widely as though now that his little adrenaline rush caused by Shatao's apperarance was dwindling, he might as well just lie down and hibernate until another exciting thing happened.

Yuu was seriously surprised that the bastard's spirit animal did not turn out to be one of those koala bears after all.

Instead, he pulled Jun by the collar when he pretended not to look and with him in the row gathered him in the direction of the barn.

"We're going to have a nice, long chat you and I, golden eyed demon."

*

"This is ridiculous. We just got here and the general already wants you dead. You! Not me!" It just didn't add up. Even if Jun found time to sneak out during the night as they made camp in the valley, his arm was still useless thanks to Yuu and not about to murder them all in their sleep any time soon. Whatever demon seemed to be slumbering now in its cursed limb, it seemed to dial down Jun's bloodlust considerably for the time being.

"Calm down, Yuu..." Jun said imploringly in this unfair smooth way of his, briefly dragging Yuu's name like he used to way before. Yuu frankly forgot about that detail, not hearing it from anyone else on the dail basis. Still... He need to focus right now on the task at hand.

"You are going to explain to me how you made Shatao shit his pants, even though he has cleary never seen you in action in person." That was the most baffling detail of all. Despite clearly fearing for his life Shatao didn't know what his assilant was even supposed to look like. Just the way he fought.

"You were taking so long with your little oni slaying quest right now that I just couldn't help to feel restless at the time."

"You mean... During our time at the island?" Yuu's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes. And you still owe me an explanation of just how you managed to drop off the face of earth for so long." Jun said as he made himself cozy at a pile of wooden planks amassed at the wall. Yuu almost missed the way he winced when he couldn't properly prop himself due to his arm briefly spasming and growing stiff under the bandages. "So I entertained myself with putting god's fear into the eyes of Shatao's soldiers with attacking the patrols." He made it sound like a game. Yuu just felt his throat squeezing with impending fit "And hey! Isn't that old man supposed to be the next pawn the emperor wants off the board? How lucky."

Yuu's lips remained squezzed and he just hoped that after that last remark Jun wouldn't mention the next natural course of action but with a wicked grin, Jun turned to him with a pair of piercing eyes locked into his

"Speaking of board games..."

"So it was you! You assaulted these men!"

We both startled at the high pitched adolescent voice of my pint sized shugenja emerging from the darkness of the half closed doorway with the righteous anger written all over his features. The pointed a finger at Jun.

"How dare you! Even after Yuu' spared your life, you would still refrain to your old despicable ways, slaughtering innocents just for the sake of... of some sort of sick thrill!"

"Kid..." Yuu stared but his words were drowned out by the rest of the lecture. Jun's head lowered with a heavy sigh that had nothing to do with repentance and everything with impending migraine. Yuu could empathy with this one. He was sure that at some point after they were on the run in the capital, the kid has given him the very same speech after taking a little girl hostage. True, he didn't kill anyone too innocent during that night, except maybe the koi-sama but the sentiment was there all right.

"Can't you see that despite your irreperable actions Yuu still very much cares about you? And /this/ is how you repay him? With treachery and putting his life and the emperor's quest in danger with your pointless ravaging?!"

Yuu was starting to seriously worry that the kid would start to hyperventilate in all of this, so he finally interrupted him with bit more force in his voice than he maybe intended.

"What Jun does and doesn't do is in his own conciousness. I didn't take a slave when striked him down and as long as he doesn't harm one of my companions or intentionally put our life in danger, he is to stay and help us with the remaining demons."

I knew that this speech was full of loopholes and my bias was just showing terribly right now and kid's slightly disgusted expression just seemed to confirm that. Well, no taking back these words right now, especially since Jun didn't seem moved by them at all and for all that appeared to be slumbering while sitting with his head tilted at an odd angle at his shoulder.

"He's asleep, isn't he." Masashi finishes my thought, despairingly.

He was doing it more and more frequently as of late and at the oddest of times. Yuu guessed that just as his mood has lifted briefly after the Baron's last gift, just as that Jun's mind was rapidly trying to piece itself together during these extended sleeps as though racing with time before his master was again consumed by Jigoku. Well, Jun's act at least has cleaned up considerably since the last time they faced each other.

"Yeah, kid. Sorry for your grand speech going wasted on those ears."

I sighed as well, for now just to leave slumbering Jun be. Especially since both of our attention was now pointed towards the familiar sound of horses approaching the valley's entrance so we quickly took our leave to see what was brewing this time.

*

Shatao apparently sent for the rest of Yuu's new students ahead of time, with a grumpy samurai that has been stranded in Tanimura along with the rest of them in tow.

As much as Yuu tried to muster being sympathetic towards the lot of them, he was still too lost in thought over pondering how Jun's careless actions have changed the dynamic of the entire mission for the team. As he proceeded onto the main street with a kid in row as the blindfolded prisoners were brought before him, he still mussed over it.

If he expected to be able to catch general Shatao unawares, this chance has been lost the moment Jun has revealed himself to be the demon's ultimate foe in this match. Shatao would be on edge and uneasy, unless he was brought the ultimate proof that the rival demon has been slain or left his domain, in which case couple of scenarios has been already unraveling in Yuu's mind coupled with some fresh deceits.

Unfortunately, all of them contained slaying the love of his life and this was just not in the cards as for now.

There were two prisoners brought to him, one of them identified by the samurai now named Kohaku as the fugitive female yakuza straight out of jijinto.

Yuu couldn't hear much of her explanation due to her muffled mouth but given the guards uneasy glances he figured it was probably for the best judging from the volume of muffled yells being thrown in his general direction.

"And this one is a katana thief."

Yuu did not expect to see the young boy fidgeting with the katana that was almost taller than he was and seemingly unwilling to let it go off his chest. The sword seemed vaguely familiar as well, now that Yuu has thought about it, the pitch black scabbard giving him an idea that he might have fought the poor fella sometime in the past, before his katana has been requitanced by some orphan kid.

Pretty good strategy to land yourself a first weapon, if you asked Yuu. Minus the getting caught part.

"The boy claimed that the renoved Subaru has put the blade in his care, before he fled the city."

Oh. So that's what it was. An unusual sword. An inch longer than the standard one, made just for the shinsengumi. If the boy ever lived to make use of the weapon, he might have grown to be a formidable foe.

But for now, he just looked around uneasily, trying to determine the source of the voice detailing his tale and declared heatedly

"I'm not lying! This is what happened, so why am I here?" He started out strong, but soon lost the heat and the last few words wobbled in his mouth, undermining the fact that he was really just some unfortunate kid who hoped to pawn the sword.

"What's your name?" Yuu asked in the momentary silence, but before he could get an answer, Kohaku continued as though it's been him who's been addressed

"The boy's name is Ige. The general was under an impression that you could make something out of him, so do not dissapoint him, instructor."

Most likely Shatao just thought that the sword he was carrrying would give the team some sort of edge over the famers armored only in sickles and leather vests but Yuu wasn't about to point that out. Meanwhile the mouthy yakuza has managed to somehow spit her gag out onto the ground and was now in the fullblown assault mode.

"Oi! Where the fuck are we, you shitheads?! What's this talk about swords and generals, I'm gettin seriously sick of your yappin'!"

Her accent as well rang familiar in Yuu's ears but it took him a second to realize where his memory was pointing him towards.

"Wait, aren't you...?"

It was then, that Daisuke has come running seemingly out of nowhere, his giant footsteps near echoing on the streets. Behind him, Hatch followed with his arms outstreched and an uneasy expression as though he's been trying to postopne the man's arrival and failing horribly as Daisuke excitedly approchaed the yakuza while exclaiming

"Nishi san! It's you!"

The woman's apparent confusion caused by the blindfold evaporated as the grin slid into it's place and she struggled against the samurai entourage that has still been waiting for some sort of sign from Kohaku that they had fulfiled their duty of delivering the prisoners.

"Daisuke!? You fucking oaf, I thought you were a goner for sure!"

***

**

*

 

"Why in the world are you digging trenches?"

"Don't sound so cocky, you crazy fuck! You should be in here with me right now, mud deep in the shit and shoveling!"

Jun levels her down with a glance.

"As if you would force me to stoop down to your level."

"Shut the fuck up and get in here! Arm injury my ass..."

Before Nishi could continue her rant that inexplicably also made her dig even harder, Masashi appeared

"Is /that person/ causing trouble again, Nishi san?"

When did her and the kid get on good terms anyway.

"Geez, I don't know, kid. He's just standing here doing nothing and gloating like a teacher's pet he fuckin is,"

As crude as Nishi was about it, it was also a sad bit of truth. While his bodyguard still treated all of his companions with his usual offhandish brand of compassion, none of them were really prepared to what Yuu was like when he actively /cared/. Masashi dare say that somewhere in his cold, blackened heart he even felt a tad guilty for injuring Jun like that.

/Guilty./ Here Masashi stood, trying not to tremble beside the collared wolf and Yuu dared... To... To care about this cold hearted killer more than...

"That reminds me. Yuu's looking for you." Masashi gritted out, feeling out of sorts for even trying to aknowledge the existence of this dangerous criminal.

Jun apparently tired from his little spat with Nishi, because he just noded mutely and retired in the direction of the dojo even though Masashi never actually told him that that's where Yuu was.

"Oi, don't let him get to ya, little master. He's the type that feds offa fear but bores quickly if you just ignore him like ya did." Nishi offered her rare bit of life philosophy.


	7. Chapter 6

That's how Yuu becomes a sensei of an unruly group of six mismatched students. And once again a student to the person who not so long before has attempted to murder him and his companions at multiple occassions.

"You sure this isn't just some plot to get the two of us alone?"

Jun puts his good hand to his chest in mock hurt as though such an idea never crossed his mind. The wicked smirk that passes through his mouth a moment later is a dead giveaway though.

"Later." He promises, then continues "Now though, there is a matter of us being two complete frauds in this whole ordeal. I'm as much of a demon in current state as you are in a position to teach anyone sword fighting. "

Despite his words, Jun discards half with a help of hand, half with teeth a part of his yukata, until his chest is bared. Yuu is about to call him out on his own duplicitness, until he notices just how much damage his earlier handiwork has dealt.

"Oh, no.. Jun, you should have said something earlier."

Jun shrugs, or shrugs as much as he can with his right arm and the good part of the shoulder being completely unresponsive due to the web of blackened veins running up towards his throat. It's a miracle he even managed to move them at all earlier during the day and as Yuu watches he shakily but manages to move three of his fingers with a considerable spasm of pain on his face.

"This time you really managed to do me in, Yuu-kun. This'll take at least three months to heal over."

I squaked.

"Three months?! You idiot, this sort of injury have put down lesser men for life... And you just..." I couldn't even finish from the sheer shock of Jun's casualness regarding this whole ordeal. Jun just shrugs.

"Been through worse and still managed. You too, by the way." He points his chin in the direction where we both know that under my kimono his last parting gift is carved into my body. I almost forgotten to be furious about it today too, so I'm glad he indirectly reminded me to wolf him down for it too.

"You idiot, I thought we already discussed putting away suicidal tendencies for the sake of effectiveness?!" I'm at the threat of sounding insufferably like Masashi, but I mean the every word.

We weren't assassins anymore. Or at least I'd like to think I wasn't despite being in the business for slaying deadly demons for his imperial majesty with the side of the considerable coaletral damage... Oh, who was I kidding I was still an assassin alright. Just of the supernatural variety this time around.

"Alright, just... Don't die on me just because you were too stubborn to admit you are in pain."

"Pain's nothing new in my life. Could deal with it alright up until now and I can now."

Now, you can't, you stupid fuck. I realized with a start. At least not how you could before, with the dulling edge of pleasure at killing and the adrenaline running in your veins. Jun was at the grasp of finding out just how the reasonable killing felt and just how many new and guilty thoughts it could bring to individual's attention.

I say as much and he scoffs.

"Did you really go this soft, Yuu? Some tiny obstacle and you're ready to throw the game?" I'm about to open my mouth but he interrupts me "And don't give me this bullshit about having something to protect this time around. There is always something to protect. Mainly your own life. As long as you see that as light on the horizon, there is no such thing as keeling over under a pretense of failing because some bullshit like that dragged you down. If these so called friends of yours are half as good as they are boisterious, you shouldn't even have to spare them a second glance. This isn't some mass sacrifice."

My mouth hangs agape from hearing such a detailed explanation from Jun, not to mention fairly reasonable and not interuprted by fits of madness. In my awe I just mutely catch my own katana as Jun throws it my way and readies himself for combat with sensei's sword in his offhand.

"Is this how it's going to be? You're going to train until you're ambidexterous?"

But Jun just shakes his head.

"You still don't understand, don't you? This isn't about which damn hand I can use. This is about my instincts. I sit in these rice fields long enough and I will forget how to swing a sword at anything other than beanstalks. /This/ is the shit that is going to kill me in the end and not some stupid arm injury."

This brings to my attention the last time I had tried to help Masashi cut the beanstalks and failed. Jun seems to notice my unease.

"This already started to happen to you, didn't it? I told you from the very start that this emperor business is the bad apple—"

This insolency I couldn't endure, unsheating my sword soundlessly.

"You /warned/ me? You held Masashi at the swordpoint, while spewing some bullshit about me belonging to you—"

"I admit, not my proudest moment—"

"—And... Trying to imply I had some questionable kinks not to mention..." I bit myself in the side of the cheek, keeping myself balanced and knowning what was coming. This was an unfortunate low blow I had just managed to score, given Jun's past with said practices and the unaccounted for state of mind he was in back in Jijinto.

Jun winces painfully but this time it has nothing to do with the pain in his arm, before saying

"Let's get the move on with this, shall we? Anytime soon?"

*

"Yuu sensei, Jun san is smoking at the dojo again!"

The voice calling to my attention of course belonged to my most diligent and pestering student all at once. I heaved a long sigh but didn't protest when the boy pointed at the direction at the back of the barn we used that has been generously called a dojo as of now.

It's not like Ige needed to point out the obvious in particular. I was half sure myself that Jun was doing it fully on purpose, although it was up to speculation if the effects of his meddling were as he presumed.

"Jun, you can't smoke at the dojo." I informed him through a gritted teeth. Ige seemed to beam at me taking his side but both Nishi and Hatch looked unsure as though not seeing the point aside from the fact that maybe it would rid us of this pest for the time being.

Jun simply shrugged, perched comfortably against the wall. He didn't even bother to look like a reconvalescent anymore, with the pipe between his teeth.

"Why?" He implored.

Why indeed.

"It's distracting the class."

It was a hard boiled lie. What it did was distract /me/. I was surprised at his own eagerness. Jun still thrilled me more than any other man ever did and their five year hiatus just seemed to stamp   
that belief.

This was the peculiar combination of the smells accompaying the training hall, Jun's presence and the tabacco smoke that was putting my nether regions into an uncomfortable state of awakeness.  
It wasn't above Jun to use such tactics to derail the entire training session but this was the tibit of knowledge that I managed to get away with despite Jun's often and bolestoris claims of knowing everything that there was to know about this ronin.

Ige mercifully decided to save me the trouble of rationalizing this time.

"Jun san is not officially your student right now, isn't he, sensei?" I couldn't disagree with that. As of yet it was actually perfectly the other way around with Jun's nightly lessons attempting to put both of us in some resemblance of shape for the upcoming tournament.

I wasn't sure what Jun's excuse was, as he was not part of the team but I suspected that he was just this kind of person to stay in fighting shape just for the sake of it even if there wasn't any justification ready on his head aside from the mental alarm bells starting to ring when you were becoming sloppy. The ones I now heard day and night in my head, with a side of sensei's comments berating me in the back of my head.  
"Yes, Jun. Get out of my dojo." There wasn't any particular heat in my words, as I knew that now Jun would never listen.

Instead I heard him make a curious sound and pushing away from the tatami wall, he swaggered towards me managing to look slightly intimidating even in his disguising kimono.  
"Hmm? Is that how it is? I'm gone for a while and Yuu gets to his head that he can order me around?" He was basically in my face right now, billowing a cloud of smoke in my face while he was at it and were it anyone else, they'd whriting on the floor with both of their arms broken at this point.

But at this point I was almost legendary for my weakness against this man. It was certainly giving Toshio shits during the time he had to deal with me in this state, but this was another thing altogether when the flock of my students was watching.

Well, or at least some of them. Hatch had this expression on his face like he already knew me long enough to know what would happen and Nishi took it for a chance to take a break and inspect her nails disregarding us altogether. Daisuke had this dumb expression on his face and a look unfocused enough to tell me he didn't know what was going on nor did he care.  
It left me with starry eyed Ige observing us inm turn as though he was about to witness some epic life and death duel between his sensei and his shiteating fiance.

Kohaku himself was still unreadable and staying at the back, making me feel as though he didn't bother as well. Except he stopped practicing, which he never did even when I had something to discuss with him and instead he seemed to silently hawk as though wary.

Jun took another puff at his pipe, as of yet not throwing our silent stare down. He only ever lost this game when Sensei was concerned anyway. Hell, we both did. Doing leaps was certainly better than staring at these dull, lifeless orbs for prolonged amounts of time.

"What is it going to be? Is Yuu going to let me stay? Is Yuu going to kick me out?" Jun mussed in this infurtiating way of his he always used when trying to get better of my temper. Addressing me in third person like a mocking adolescent girl.

"Can you even hold a sword long enough to fight?" There was a real concern there as well as some vaguely innocent innuendo. I wasn't really in the mood for witty word fights with Jun with so much going on and the tabacco smell that was starting to premanent the entire dojo was convicting me in the belief I would probably need to burn down this barn to get rid of it or face turning into a hormonal teenager all over again every time I crossed the treshhold.

"Not while I'm having a smoke, no."

What game was he playing? This had to be the first when Jun /didn't/ want to fight when propositioned, which probably meant he demanded this /other/ thing.  
He was a simple creature like that and I did neglect one of his basic functions during this week.

I heaved a sigh, disparsing the cloud of smoke around my face before declaring.

"Fifteen minutes."

Jun almost sputtered with his eyes wide

"F-fiteen minutes?! Who do you take me for, Yuu? What sort of pitiful existence have you been leading during these last five years?!"

Ige looked after them as Jun san's voice carried all the way from the dojo's entrance. He blinked obliviously, putting the katana to his chest.

 


	8. Chapter 7

When Toshio enters the spirit realm, he is surprised to find himself in a scene more peaceful than what he could have expected from the mayhem going down in the real world right now.

There is a sound of a lazy stream wooshing in the distance and then on the hill overlooking it, a single tree. The rest is covered in unpenetratable mist but it's enough to give Toshio some sense of direction.

As he climbs uphill, it soon becomes evident that there are two creatures resting there in the shadow the tree provides.  
One of them Toshio already knows. The snow monkey turns his way with evident surprise and stops whisking at the fur of the resting creature it is currently sat on.  
The wolf appears just as Toshio has seen it last time, lying on its side away from Toshio and deceivingly peaceful, while the deep gashes running down its size seem to be healing considerably. It breathes heavily, just as the snow monkey thumps its mutt in alarm with an audible monkey yell to notify it of the stranger's presence.  
The wolf just let's out some sort of muffled animalistic groan and thumps its bushy tail once against the ground.  
Yuu and Jun themselves are nowhere to be found.

*

"Jun. I scarely believe I am saying this, but I'm glad you're still here with Yuu san."  
Jun still probably held the place of being a sole person in this world with whom Toshie has postponed any honorifics. But he hardly seemed bothered by it, either.  
"Trust me, out of whole bunch of the dogs sniffing around my Yuu, that hotheaded street fighter guy is probably the only one I am actively /not/ concerned about."  
"His name is Hatch by the way." I chimed in, before Jun could take this any further "And you saying that because...?"  
"He's a traditionalist, that one. I can respect that." Jun replied smoothly.  
I gawked. Oh, yeah. That. But then my brows furrowed as another question came to my mind  
"Wait, so Kohaku--"  
Toshio's throat clearing interrupted our intriguing converstaion and Jun seemed content to let it slide this time, probably if only to keep my unawares of the people he perceived as his personal enemies.  
"Yeah, Tosh, how did your scouting mission go, anyway?"  
Toshio presented us with a pole that apparently with a help of gunpowder could effectively spit fire at long distances. This did not sound good at all. There was also a quick report on Shatao's general activities as the preparations for the upcoming tournament seemed to take most of his time.  
He must have taken Jun seriously enough to engage in all of that despite the situation on the front. Yuu's love last performance could have had something to do with that.  
"Yuu san, I advise you to keep focusing on preparing your team for the trials to come. And I don't mean just physically." Toshio offered his usual piece of advice. I could just nod mutely at that. I wasn't even sure if I was in contact enough with my own furry friend not to mention being in position of helping someone else attune to their own so Toshio's next words surprised me even further.  
Addressing Jun this time, he implored  
"Jun, if you'd mind." the words were icy cold and yet Toshio subtly reached for Jun's hand just as he did before what seemed like eternity as Ume Ume's hut.  
Jun just stared at him blankly, before scoffing  
"What is it? Is this that shit about imaginary animals again? Goddamnit kondo, you already managed to derail Yuu with that shit about morality and I am not going to be the next victim of some buddist crap--"  
Jun actually seemed to vent long enough for Toshio to just grab his bad hand unawares. I was fully prepared for Jun just decking our resident ninja in the face but he just growled something sounding vaguely like a dejected "goddamnit" and apparently let Toshio do his silent assessing.  
Jun was learning even faster than Yuu anticipated. When it came to Toshio and his spiritual evaluations there was just no fighting the man.  
"Do you even know what shape your spirit animal takes, Jun?"  
I was still just standing there awkwardly and Jun has thrown me a quick uncertain look as though for confirmation, before replying  
"The, ugh... Some big sort of dog? Yuu said it looked like wolf to him, but fuck if I know." He shrugged.  
"I'm almost certain it was a wolf, as well. Back in... Jijinto."  
Beside, this was the mask of the man who appeared at the white peach during my date with Momoko, not to mention... Couple of other instances of this happening when I was knocked out.  
"The mangly sort. Looked starved." I elaborated, to Jun's visible wince but Toshio just nodded, deep in thought.  
"Fascinating... And... Yuu san, you're saying you've last seen it fairly recently, yes?" Without waiting for a confirmation, Toshio continued  
"It is a wolf, just as you predicted Yuu san. But the description you have given does not quite apply any longer."  
My heart leaped for some reason. What was it? Was it injured? Went rabid?  
Dead...?  
"Much like it's owner, the wolf seems worn down and weary, but it doesn't look to be starving either or... Overly aggressive." Toshio looked up at Jun flagbastered expression, who was clearly still not buying any of that "Once again I cannot believe I am saying that but, Jun, your spirit seems to be in a much better shape as of now. Yuu san's influence no doubt." He added, finally letting go of Jun's hand that just flopped uselessly back at his side.  
"What you mean, kondo? Yuu magically managed to heal my bleeding heart or some shit?"  
"More or less."  
I had to snicker.  
"Well, that's a relief. I mean, Jun recovering physically /and/ spiritually? Curse you, Toshio, he's right. I shouldn't feel this excited about our imaginary pets."  
Toshio looked at me with a peculiarly soft expression now and then as though refraining some vital sort of information from me, but before I could elaborate the two of us were interrupted by the rude yell of the familiar someone approaching  
"A kondo! Get away from Yuu sensei, you scum!"  
It was, of course Kohaku.  
Probably uneasy from my sudden dissapearance after a duel with Jun, he has followed me all the way here.

 


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun is going to pay for Shatao's therapy sessions. 
> 
> I think... It happens right around when ronin goes out and gathers weapons for his students in original story? 
> 
> That shingeki no bahamut reference at the very end though.

Yuu said not to cause mayhem and make the old man hunt them down here and then and as Jun ponders on it, the sight of a mask at the edge of his vision catches his eye.

It's by Yuu's futon and seems to be some sort of souvernir of his picken up during his adventures.

It depicts the smiling mouth of a horned devil, red and ominous. Jun puts it to his face with a slight smile obstructed behind the demonic one. Or was it the other way around?

"This will do."

*

  
I kissed around the deadened skin of his shoulder. Jun attempted to make a fist again, but it only resulted in a strange tick as his wrist spasmed brieflt and only two fingers twitched unevenly.

Jun sighed dejectedly.  
"Oi, don't do it again." I tried to sound stern but felt plain tired all over again. Jun shouldn't have exterted himself like that. Not now. Possibly not ever if he wanted to live till the end of year.  
"You asking me not to do it? It's like commanding a man to stop breathing. You should know better, Yuu."  
Jun was apparently in the same sort of pinch as I was, because as he awkwardly tried to put his arms around my waist, only the extertion in his voice came across clearly.  
I didn't know how to talk to this man anymore so he would listen and I doubted I ever would.  
Jun was ultimately a lone wolf, bound to his own paths and whims and I was just the emperor's traveling monkey happening to stick around long enough to whisk at his fur.  
/Ugh. Was there such a thing as a //too high// attunement?/  
"Just throwing your own words back at ya. Don't drop dead before this is all over ya dumb shit."  
I hid my face in the crook of his neck even though I didn't feel like crying. The tell enough was that I was distressed enough to revert back to my Genfu accent.  
"There, there..." There was a hollow amusement in Jun's voice as he dropped a quick kiss at the crown of my head.  
When did we get so sappy? We were in the middle of the fields, surrounded by the corpses of our slain enemies and effectively cuddling and yet there seemed to be no complaining from both sides. It was abnormal, sure but... Not entirely unpleasant.  
"I'm--- I have a vow of sorts. To make."  
And just when I thought this couldn't get any stranger.  
I raised my head, looking straight up at the moon illuminating the fields softly. Jun's face looked softly in its light too, despite being caked in blood and a bit sunken around the eyes.  
Part of me wanted to take this opportunity to bite back. Jun? A ronin through and through making a vow? But I didn't dare. I could see that he was being dead serious. I nodded.  
"I won't use Jigkoku again--" my heart near stopped but Jun continued "Unless you'll tell me to. This-- this is me relinquishing the control to you." Jun seemed in a need to take a deep breath himself as though these last few words has punched a hole in his defenses as well. His eyes were wandering briefly. Around the fields, across the corpses but he soon recovered, focusing on me again.  
"There's no one else in this world I trust more, or at all if I'm honest-- than you. I already owe you... My life, or what's left of it for pulling me back from madness so I suppose this is only fair."  
Would I really take it? Was that okay? I singlehandedly made a choice of becoming a ronin that night I decided to murder Sensei but was it really that way for Jun? Could it be that he was still more bound by bushido between the two of us?  
The thought of it was almost laughable. And yet. Did I ever take time to really ask Jun where his moralties have lain? Just few days ago I was shocked speechless to find out that he even considered his own existence worth protecting.  
So I bit my lip.  
And shook my head.  
"Jun... I'm... I'm damn near honored, trust me, but if there's one person who can control this thirsting spirit of yours, it has to be you."  
I dreaded to look him in the eye now and there. Near expected my neck to get snapped. I knew how much it took out of Jun to even admit something like that and now I was just... Throwing it back in his face--  
So the soft laughter surprised me.  
I snapped my eyes open, just in time to witness Jun near choke on his spit in amusement, even though his eyes remained oddly forlorn and focused on me. The demon mask sat crooked on his temple right now and I witnessed him put it back down, before the glimmer to tears in the moonlight dissapeared completely with his blood bitten lip.  
"It's okay." The golden eyed demon said with the calmness that Jun underneath probably didn't feel right now "You just keep surprising me every now and then. Hunting demons for the emperor, becoming a shogi champion, establishing your own school of martial arts in the rice fields---"  
I let out a choked laughter at that last one but felt probably just as shaken as Jun did. The wind blew gently now and then and carried the smell of stale blood, urine and rotting bodies all around us. Great. I almost managed to forget about that small detail.  
The golden eyed demon looked at peace though, face turned east towards the way wind blew.  
"My father was a despicable scum, but just once he asked me an important question."  
"Hm?" I was startled once again at the mention of That man, but Jun continued as though reciting  
"'Which way does the wind blow, son?' He asked."  
Yuu felt like this question has been indirectly poised at him, so he followed Jun's gaze.  
"East, I guess?"  
"No. 'To the future.'"  
Yuu looked at his fiance dumbfounded, doing as much as to put the palm of his hand to the forehead between the demon's horns.  
"Jun, the fuck does this even mean?"  
The demon's mask moved slightly and the unseen golden eyes rested on Yuu's with great gravity.  
"I dunno. Sounded cool, back when I was a kid."


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just Reunion smut really. Carry on reader if for some incomprehensible reason you are still reading this work for the plot.

  
The relief was damn near paltable and Yuu felt himself clenching in time with his heartbeat.  
He exhaled a soft moan into Jun's waiting lips, already feeling himself tethering at the brink despite them already getting started.  
"Yuu... Already?"  
No... Not yet, he couldn't--

Jun seemed more amused than anything at Yuu's current predicament, the bastard and seemingly reading the mood, placed his hands on Yuu's hips steadingly. Yuu didn't even notice they were stutterin rhytmically throught all this blood thundering in his ears.  
Yuu might have given some sort of answer or perhaps it was just his mouth sputtering some random gibberish but the fact remained that he found himself unable to form any coherent thought, almost like entering the Jigoku state.  
This thought alone was enough to break him out of it with alarm.  
This felt like a trance.  
Yuu has soley forgotten that it has been a fifth year mark since their bodies has been reaquainted in this way, save for this one unmentionable thirst with Yuu's memory back on Baron's island.  
Yuu was fairly sure he was salivating a bit in place where his teeth sink into a juncture of Jun's neck and the coppery salt of blood resided on his tongue. He was aware of the motion between them and his own pleasure but he as good as entered a blissful fog with unfocused eyes grabbing at whatever scrap of Jun he could get his hands on and sighing at the sharp bursts of electricity traveling up his spine.  
It felt selfish openmouthedly burying his face into a mane of hair but Jun smelled just like Jun should and not some watered down hallucination like sweat and tabacco smoke and just something Yuu was unable to recreate using his other partners.  
Connection.  
He released a long gasp at the particularly strong sensation, clinging tigther with his thighs around Jun's hips and was rewared with a deep growl as fingers grasped at the hair at the base of his skull and /pulled/--  
There was this wet unmistakable sound between them the one Yuu couldn't quite get enough of.  
This didn't feel coordinated in the slighest and more like their first tumbles as they were just curious teenagers stranded hopelessly together as the only two remaining students and Yuu should have really been more experienced in this at this point, graceful even damnit-- but these thoughts were fucked out of his mind soon enough.  
He wasn't putting a show for anyone. Yuu was starved and Jun seemed starved as well, albeit for something else it seemed as he finally managed to catch Yuu's attention and their lips and tongues connected slickly and slowly belittiling the frantic motions of the rest of their bodies. Did they ever do it this way? This disgusting sort of intimacy that just broke down the walls of even appaering slighly humane between their breathshort sighs and groping until the tension built up in Yuu tightly enough for the tears to roll down his cheeks as he grasped Jun's hips and pushed himself down hard enough to hurt until he was sure he felt it and his vision went white briefly when he collapsed on top of Jun finally breaking the kiss for long enough to take few frantic moist breaths at Jun's cheek.  
He soon followed and there was only heat dripping down his thighs and somewhere between smiling blisfully and on his face to passing out, Yuu decided that this was it. He was ruined for anyone other than that bastard.  
Still catching his breath, Yuu has come to a conclusion that he has drifted somewhere far away in his mind. Jun's tight body underneath him was still coiled with tension and he took a second to drag his hand down the muscled stomach between their bodies but as he was slugishly regaining his basic thought processes, something still seemed amiss.  
Jun was silent.  
That being said, Yuu was silent as well and still struggling to string a sentence together he asked simply  
"Jun...?"  
Still no answer and he dropped his head onto his fiance's chest, feeling an oddly even sound of his heartbeat given the circumstances.  
"Jun?" he repeated again just a motion of his lips against chest before Yuu lifted eyes towards his face.  
And met his own reflection in the golden ones.  
For once his breath stuttered, cooling down the sweat running down his back but despite Jun's current predicament, he exhaled shakily as well with his eyes going halfmast with eyelashes lowering darkly over gold.  
There was still no response but Jun's hand, the mangled right one, Yuu dully noted has raised and gently rested over Yuu's cheek.  
For the moment he felt to paralyzed as to not make any sudden motions so it caught him by surprised when Jun's thumb gathered at the salty tears beneath Yuu's eye and wiped them away.  
"Yuu... You shouldn't cry at the time like this."

Jun turned them over with Yuu belately realizing they were still joined over and some sick spark of pleasure blossomed in Yuu just as Jun settled over him heavily like a hot blanket and went right back to where they started, pumping more and more slick fluid out of Yuu's exhausted body.  
There was no telling how much of Jun there was behind this golden eyes but Yuu found himself unable to protest or care as Jun rapidly grew hard again inside of him slamming over and over again, dragging at Yuu's oversensitive insides.  
He mewled pitifully, connecting his knuckles around Jun's neck but it just seemed to spur him on because with an animalistic growl he adjusted the angle until Jun was solely abusing Yuu's prostate with every thrust.  
Yuu couldn't come again, not so soon anyway but the need seemed to be gathering in him regardless and painfully so.  
Perhaps the novelty of having Jun again hasn't worn off yet but despite being fairly sure that he could snap Jun out of this haze he... Decided not to. There must have been something seriously wrong with him too because the pleasure soon became so overpowering that it circled back to pain for his abused nerves and gasping and wailing he has clung to Jun with a death grip faithfully until just at the edge of his conciousness as he was choking on his pleads and his spit the familiar thought appeared just like before.  
This body... Is just a body...  
But then, before the bearer of it could elaborate, it gave out.


End file.
